The First Firebender
by kelsoei
Summary: The chaos, misery, and destruction of the Hundred Year War has caused an ancient evil to awaken. The Avatar slept while the world faced this unprecedented threat, at least until Sokka woke him up. Now the two must find Sokka's missing sister, Katara, and together save the world. AU
1. Prologue - Festered Hatred

Yuck. Dirty socks did not smell good. But they were a tribe, and everyone had to contribute. Katara dropped them into the soapy bucket, and kneaded them around in the sparkling glacier water… Not really sparkly any more, it had gotten dark and murky from all the dirty laundry. Katara dumped it into a dirty pile of snow, and went to the fire to get some clean water. It seemed a waste to use their driftwood supply for something as frivolous as clean clothes, but oh well… Somehow, Sokka had convinced the Chief that cleanliness should be a priority.

Katara checked her furs, was she filling her bucket the right way? Yes, yes she'd done this a hundred times. She was fine. Perfectly fine. Nobody was staring at her. She was just filling her bucket with clean water. It was normal. Everyone did it.

"I don't believe you Sikuaq! You're just making things up again," said Qeorvik, the tallest, prettiest girl that Katara knew. She was really nice, and probably the coolest person in the whole entire tribe!

"I'm telling ya, if ya smoke the salmon-trout for a few hours it'll taste way better!" Said Sikuaq confidently. Sikuaq was okay… She was fine, not mean or a bully or anything, but Katara didn't really understand why she got to be Qeorvik's best friend.

"I don't know." Qeorvik shook her head. "Stewed salmon-trout is good. Everyone likes it. Why change a good thing?"

Katara nodded. A smoker would be too wasteful. And what about the marination? Sikuaq clearly hadn't considered the marination! Salmon-trout was wonderful, she didn't want it's flavor overwhelmed by smoke and cedar.

"Everything is always the same here. It's _sooo_ boring," Sikuaq sighed. "Okay fine." She grinned evilly. "Would you rather-"

"I am not playing this game with you again," Qeorvik said.

'I want to play,' Katara almost said. But that would be weird. Neither of the girls had even noticed her, and it was rude to eavesdrop. She went about filling her bucket silently, listening in on the girls gossip with each other. Apparently old woman Taktuq was like, really smelly, and like totally didn't even realize it, and the young hunter Anana had like, a total six-pack, and was probably really good at-

"What are you two doing?" Asked Hahn. The young man shuffled his way through the snowbank, up to the fire. He was a self important know-it-all who thought that just because he'd become a hunter he was the greatest thing since sliced seal jerky. "Leave it to a couple uh' girls to start gossiping as soon as they get the chance. Get back in the kitchen! Me and the rest of the men are hungry!"

Qeorvik giggled. "Relax, we were just taking a little-"

"This is the problem with this backwards little settlement," Hahn said, sighing pompously. "You lot haven't learned your place. You bitches always gotta say something-"

"Shut up Hahn," said Katara. She knew she shouldn't be doing this, and somewhere in the back of her mind a little voice was screaming at her to stop. That she should be silent and proper like Qeorvik, but she always had to listen to that voice drone on and on about how she should behave. Just this once she'd ignore it and do what was natural. Wiping that stupid smirk off Hahn's dumb face. "You're always going on and on about the _great_ Northern Water Tribe. How spectacular it is. How big it is. How everyone acts the right way there. Didn't it get burned to the ground by the Fire Nation?"

Hahn took a step back. Katara took a step forward, and slammed a finger into his chest.

"It was our people who survived! You're the one who came begging our tribe to let you in. On your hands and knees. The Chief was nice enough to let you in, and all you've done is complain! You haven't done a thing Hahn, so maybe you should be treating Qeorvik with a little more respect. She's at least caught a fish before, so has Sikuaq, by the moon even I've caught a fish before and I'm just a kid! You haven't! Some _man_ you are!"

Hahn looked at the girls for support. He found none. "I still don't understand it. The Chief should have sent you back to your _real_ people a long time ago. Don't you get it Katara? Nobody wants you here."

Katara rolled her eyes. Hahn was a big dumb oaf, and his insults were always the same. She had gold eyes. She was a loud, annoying foreign brat. She should just go back to the Fire Nation already. Even if Katara did have some foreign blood in her, their tribe accepted anyone who wished to be a part of it. Half the people in it were from some part of the Earth Kingdom for moon's sake! Heck, Hahn was more of an outsider foreigner than Katara! The so-called Prince of the Northern Water Tribe didn't have a clever bone in his body.

"I'm right aren't I?" Hahn asked. "People just don't say it 'cuz her brother's the prince."

Didn't he understand what an ass he was? Katara had always done her part. Hahn was just a spoiled brat.

Sikuaq giggled. "Well, you're not wron-"

Qeorvik elbowed Sikuaq, "Katara is a member of this tribe no matter her eye color. The Chief said so. It isn't her fault her father is Fire Nation."

Katara grinned at Qeorvik. She knew that Qeorvik liked her. Respected her. But she just couldn't say anything because… Um… Someday, Katara was sure the two of them would be great friends.

"That's not what you said last time," Sikuaq laughed. "Me and Hahn are happy with exile. You were the one saying we should ki-"

Qeorkvik blushed. "Would you be quiet Sikuaq!"

What did that mean? What was Sikuaq talking about? What had Qeorvik said?

Qeorvik touched Katara's shoulders, and met her eyes. "Listen Katara. You know that's not how I feel right? I'd never say something like that."

Sikuaq snorted.

"Right," Katara said, filling up her bucket with boiled water. She only spilled a few times, the water scalding her skin. It hurt. The water hurt. "Sure."

Her bucket was filled. Her job was done. Pretended not to see Hahn's sneer.

"Don't tell your brother about this," Qeorvik called after her.

Katara left. Ran. Went back behind her little igloo to finish the laundry. Laundry was what was important. She grabbed one of the furs, and ripped it from the basket. Dunked it in the hot water, thrashed it about. Jerked it on a line to dry. There, she was working! Really, it didn't even bother her anymore. No, what upset her was that she still tried!

This wasn't helping anything. Getting all mad like this. Never had. Never would. She just had to finish her laundry. Not let herself get worked up. Just had to keep on task. Keep on task...

Who cared what those girls thought of her? It was like Gran-Gran always said, some people were just jerks. You couldn't do anything about it. Just had to live with it and move on. As long as you had your health, and enough food to support yourself, you could be happy. You could be happy.

Why wasn't she happy?

Katara threw a pair of socks against the igloo. She'd tried and she'd tried and she'd tried. Nothing ever worked, but if even just once, if even just once she cracked and exploded, no matter how good it would feel it would be the end. They'd never forgive her. She'd have proven everyone right. She'd be just another Fire Nation monster.

But… But what did it even matter? What was so great about being tolerated? Being treated like an outsider?

 _Open your eyes Katara._

She did. The igloo was still there, the world still spun, the universe didn't care about the life of one little girl.

She still had to clean the tribe's dirty laundry.

"Katara! Katara!" Sokka called. "Where are you?"

"I'm here!"

Sokka slid around the end of the igloo. "Hey Katara? What's wrong with your eyes?"

Her eyes?

"They're all wet. Have you been crying?"

"No."

"Good," Sokka said. "It's not manly. Now c'mon dude, I've found something incredible!"

At first Katara was annoyed. Why should she care about being manly? Didn't Sokka know she was in the middle of her chores? There was a limit to how inconsiderate someone could be. But as the two of them drifted farther and farther from the village, as they got lost together in the snow, Katara realized that Sokka hadn't gone to the Chief with whatever he'd found. He hadn't gone to Gran-Gran. He hadn't brought one of the hunters he looked up to, he hadn't brought a girl he liked. No. The one he wanted was Katara.

Right here, in this frozen tundra, with a sea of snow in all directions, she was accepted.

This was home.

* * *

The Fire Nation cruiser must've been anchored here for years. That was the only way the ship could be surrounded by such a thick layer of ice. It was as big as an iceberg, and made with the same smooth metal that the hunters used to tip their spears. Katara knew instinctively that this kind of thing was larger than the two of them. The kind of discovery which, whatever her dumb brother thought, needed to be shared with the rest of the tribe. The Chief would have a meeting with the elders, and together they would come to a well thought out decision over how to approach the cruiser. The ship needed to be treated with extreme caution.

Sokka shimmied his way through the snow, and banged on the side of the boat with his bone spear. "Hello? Anybody home?" Nothing happened. So the idiot kept whacking.

Katara grabbed the spear.

"What the heck Katara!" Sokka said. "Have you gotten sick with full moon madness?"

"No, but what if-"

"What if?" Sokka roared with laughter, and snatched back his spear. "Man has never been stopped by what if! All tribesmen have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge! We're not put out by silly things like what if _this happens_ , or what if _that happens_ , we jump into the water headfirst!"

Katara rolled her eyes. "You don't even know how to swim Sokka."

"That's because the water is too cold," Sokka said, in a tone that made Katara want to kick him. Just because she was a few years younger than him didn't mean she was stupid! She knew that those who fell in the sea were as good as dead.

"But you were saying-"

"Fine," Sokka said, holding his ear to the side of the cruiser. "Go back and tell Bato. He'll deliberate and deliberate and choose to do nothing. You know how the ole' man is: A total coward."

"You shouldn't say things like that about the Chief!" Katara said, mostly out of habit. If she, or anyone else talked like that about the Chief they'd be in big trouble, but Sokka got away with it, just like he got away with everything. It wasn't fair.

Why did she still care? The world wasn't fair. But couldn't Sokka feel at least a little ashamed about his special treatment?

"I think I've found an opening," Sokka said, running along the side of the ship. "Katara? You coming or not?"

Katara bit her lip. She always tried to be a good girl. A good member of the tribe. She wanted to prove everyone wrong. A good girl would turn back, and tell the Chief about the cruiser. But…

It's not like anybody would know that she followed Sokka, and she wanted to know what was inside. But was it really good enough to only act like a good person when she knew people were watching?

 _Fuck_ 'em.

Katara followed Sokka to the front of the ship. He smacked a strip of metal a couple uh times, until something cracked, and it fell forward, kicking up a flurry of snow.

Sokka peered inside, but it was too dark to see much. Katara inspected the fallen ship wall. It was flat, and not even that slanted. She could walk right up it, into the interior of the evil piece of Fire Nation technology. See whatever voodoo Fire Nation witchcraft was surely inside.

Maybe she'd find some Fire Nation soldiers inside. They'd overwhelm Sokka, but Katara would use one of his weapons to take them down. Then she'd return to the Water Tribe a hero and everything would be wonderful. Qeorvik would realize how cool she was, and everyone would finally see how hateful Hahn was. It could happen.

"You coming?" Katara asked, walking up the opening.

"Isn't it a little?" Sokka asked, squirming in his furs. "You know, dangerous? What if there are soldiers in there Katara?"

"Sokka?" Katara asked, raising an eyebrow. "You scared?"

"Of course not," Sokka huffed. He followed her into the ship, and lit a torch. He handed it to Katara, and took out his bone spear. "You lead."

But the ship was boring. There was nothing inside but halls and empty rooms.

"What do you think those are Katara?" Sokka asked, pointing at a bunch of long circular thing-a-ma-jigs that ran across the ceiling.

"Who cares?" Katara asked, rolling her eyes. "What does it even matter?"

"Follow them," Sokka said. "Let's see where it goes."

It didn't go anywhere. But the thing-a-ma-jigs did split into smaller and smaller circular thingys.

"They're like a river," Sokka said, knocking one of them open. It was hollow. "The little estuaries feed into something bigger. Most rivers dump off into a sea or a lake. So where's the sea? Katara give me the torch. I wanna see something."

Katara handed Sokka the torch. He handed her the spear. Together they trekked across the hallways, into the lower levels of the ship, and found something interesting. All the circular thing-a-ma-jigs were connected to big vats of… Something… There were a bunch of big machines in the room that were turned off. They must've done something, worked somehow, but this wasn't like a tribal crossbow, which Katara could somewhat understand. However these machines worked was a complete mystery.

Sokka shined his light on a shelf full of books, and picked one out.

"What's it say?" Katara asked.

"A Beginner's Guide to Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning," Sokka said, flipping through the pages. He sighed, and put the book down. "I don't understand any of this stuff."

Well that was surprising. Sokka was normally pretty good at things like that. He'd read all the Tribe's books on science, and seemed to know all kinds of stuff. He could even explain why it rained for moon's sake!

"Hey Sokka, what's that?" Katara asked pointing at a poster.

"What's it look like?" Sokka asked, picking up another book. "It's a Fire Nation army recruitment poster. It says that anyone who joins the military can become a hero. From a farmer to a woman, everyone is equal in the army. Seriously Katara, you need to learn to read."

"But Qeorvik says it's a waste of-"

"She's wrong," Sokka said, rolling his eyes. "Being illiterate just makes you dumb. If I were chief I'd make all the kids learn to read, whether they liked it or not."

Right, reading would be great. Everyone already treated her like an outsider. What would really help out with that would be learning the Fire Nation's secret language. That'd just make everything…

Katara stared at the poster. It showed a girl, about her age, even prettier than Qeorvik with a couple of almost perfectly symmetrical bangs, bending blue fire. The girl had the same golden eyes as Katara. Maybe…

The girl looked so happy, so confident with that little smirk of hers. Was she really that different? What if Katara left the tribe and fought in the war? What if Katara discovered she was one of those mythical benders? What if she became a legend like the Last Waterbender: Chief Hakoda? That'd wipe the smile off Hahn's face. Qeorvik would be the one begging to be _her_ friend. Hmm, but she'd be a bigshot, and really, all of them would be ever so provincial.

Katara giggled. It was a nice fantasy, but really?

The Southern Water Tribe had submitted to the Fire Nation a long time ago. They stayed out of the war. Peace had led them to being the most prosperous tribe. Once the Northern Water Tribe had been the wealthy one. They'd fought and earned their freedom from the Fire Nation, but they'd paid for it dearly. Now the North was a shell of its former glory. Sokka's father, the late Chief Hakoda had fought and died so nobody in the Southern Water Tribe would have to enter the war.

A soldier? A bender? That wasn't her. She was a member of the Southern Water Tribe through and through. Only proud fools joined the fight against the Fire Nation.

"I'm going home," Katara announced.

"Sure," said Sokka, not looking up from his book. "Don't tell the ole' man about this place. Not until I get to read all of these."

Katara nodded. She wouldn't be coming back to the cruiser anytime soon. There was nothing for her here.

But she never did forget about the confident smirk of the girl on the poster. As if the entire world belonged to her.

Wouldn't it be great to be that strong?

* * *

What had just happened?

Sokka had popped out of nowhere, chucked a snowball at her, and she'd thrown a fireball at him, and he'd…

He'd...

Put it out with a… Splash of water?

"Katara," Sokka said. "Nobody can know. Do you understand?"

Katara stared at him blankly. This changed everything. Not only about her brother, but herself as well.

She was a bender! She was a frickin' bender, how cool was that? It was just… Just...

She wasn't the right kind. She wasn't one of the fabled waterbenders that the Chief sometimes told them about, not like Sokka's father, or the legendary Hama. No, she was… Like the evil monster General Iroh...

She was a firebender.

But maybe it wasn't so bad. After all, one of the tribe's saviors had been the legendary Phoenix King, and he'd been a firebender as well. Heck, he was the closest thing that the world had to an Avatar right now. She was sure that if she explained herself the Tribe would eventually accept it. And if they didn't... Well now she could just make them, couldn't she?

After all, it wasn't just Sokka anymore, she was special too. In fact, maybe she was the most special.

"I'll keep it a secret," Sokka said, glaring at her with those blue eyes, that everyone in the tribe shared. Everyone except Katara. "But only if you promise to stop bending. I know you think it's _cool_. I know you think it's _fun_. I know you think it makes you _special_. But if you keep doing this the Fire Nation _will_ catch you. And then they _will_ kill you. You have to stop. Promise that you'll stop."

Katara laughed. "Heck no."

Sokka shook her. "Katara?"

"Yeah?"

"You love Gran-Gran right?"

"Of course."

"If you keep bending they'll kill her too."

"But I-"

"No buts. Katara you're going to get everyone in the tribe killed. Gran-gran, the ole' man, even me." Sokka glared. "For some silly little _magic_."

"They don't have to know," Katara whispered. "I can train in secret Sokka."

"Look at me Katara!" Sokka ordered. And for the first time, Katara could understand why everyone in the Tribe called him prince. "You know my first memory?"

Katara shook her head, terrified.

"My father saying the exact same thing." Sokka's sneer was pure contempt. "' _I can train in secret Kya.'_ Everyone acts like he was a hero, but it was his bending which brought the Fire Nation here in the first place. You wanna know why everyone here treats you like trash? It's because of him and his bending! I hate the fool!"

"Look at me Katara!" Sokka commanded. He softened. "You can do this. I know it's hard, but you can give up bending. You will. You have too. Now promise."

Katara shook. Bending. Or her brother and the tribe. She'd have to make a choice.

"I… I promise. I'll… It'll be our secret."

Sokka hugged her. "Our secret."

They'd never been closer.

But Katara felt hollow. Alone. And like more of an outsider than ever.

 _This should have been the best moment of your life._

Katara's joy had turned to ash, because of…

Sokka?

* * *

"...And then black snow fell from the sky..." The Chief said, the fire crackling against his weathered face. This was Katara's favorite time, where the Chief told tales of legends past. Someday he'd tell a story about her, and all the children who had bullied her would have to listen.

The Water Tribe children gasped. Even the youngest of them knew that when it rained ash it meant one thing: the Fire Nation was coming.

"'But who knows?' Hakoda told me. 'Maybe it's the Cardiac Kid: Prince Ozai. Rumor has it that he's hunting for the Avatar.'

'Could be,' I said. But I think we both knew it wasn't him. Still, we hoped, after all, we'd never gone against the Fire Nation before. Our chief always used to tell me: You don't pick a fight with the Hama of the world's tribe..."

Katara sighed. She, like most of the children, had heard this story about a thousand times and knew perfectly well it wasn't the gentle Prince Ozai.

"The moon waxed and the moon waned," The Chief said. The fire crackled, as the Chief thought of what to say next. "And when the moon was full they finally arrived. The sea was covered with them, canoes as large as glaciers. They were like a herd of penguin-otters there were so many of 'em. After the Phoenix King came in one of those ships we knew what they could do, and me and ole' Hakoda, we knew we were dead. But Hakoda, the crazy bastard, grabs a spear and goes out to meet 'em head on." The Chief's smile lit up the tribe more than the fire. "One man against an entire Fire Nation armada! I bet those Northerners had never met such a fool! Anyways, out from the lead ship steps this big, fat dude. From his appearance, he didn't look like anything special, but when he moved, when he spoke, we all knew: this was General Iroh. The Last Dragon. The Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. The strongest firebender of all time."

She could feel all the children staring at her. She ignored them. Kept staring at the Chief, who, for his part, was just looking at the fire, his eyes faraway.

"And what do you think were the first words of our crazy Chief? 'I challenge you to a one-on-one duel!' By the moon, we'll never meet his like again! Well maybe someday…"

Sokka grimaced, as it was his turn to be the center of attention. "Yeah, and he had Hama fight General Iroh. Real great man. Having a girl fight his battles."

The Chief frowned. "Your father _was_ a great man Sokka. I can only wish to be half the leader he was. It was General Iroh who demanded a fight with Hama. What kind of leader would turn that down? Sacrifice one woman for the lives of the entire tribe?"

"I can't listen to this shit anymore," Sokka said, leaving the fire. "I'm gonna go fishing. Katara, wanna come?"

Great. Yeah, now everyone was glaring at her like she was the one torching their old chief's legacy. "I'm good." Katara said. "I like the story. I think Chief Hakoda was really brave."

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Oh and Bato? You're a better leader than he ever was." And with that, the Southern Water Tribe's only prince left in a royal huff.

The Chief looked like he'd been gutted. He wiped his eyes, and continued his story. "Well... General Iroh did end up fighting Hama. She had him trapped with her blood-, with her puppet bending, but he used some kinda firebending which didn't rely on body movement. He just moved his flames with his mind, like some kinda psychic. Anyways, he fought and beat Hama fairly. No complaints from me, not about the way he fought, but the way he won… It was… It was… She was burning alive, and you know what, maybe she was a powerful bender, but like Sokka said, she was a woman. And an old one too. The bastard was laughing as she screamed! He burnt her arms, then her legs, then one cheek, then another. Some people just wanna see the world burn kids. I'd always thought that evil was a myth, that the Fire Nation was just a buncha people who thought they were doing the right thing. That fight made me rethink things. The rumors about the prince were true. He was a monster. And once Hama was dead, the bastard asked who was next! Like anyone would say a thing after that, but the fucking bastard tells us he'll burn our tribe to ground if our benders don't announce themselves!"

The Chief stopped, as he finally noticed that all the children were staring at Katara. The girl who was half Fire Nation. The Chief gave her a warm smile, which didn't quite meet his eyes.

"But the Fire Nation wasn't evil of course. Nor was General Iroh, not really. He was just a man who loved to fight. I'm sure that if you shared a cup of tea with him, he'd seem like a pleasant enough fella. But this was war, and Iroh was merciless. A great bender. The best I, or anyone except maybe the old King Bumi, has ever seen. It was this man, at the height of his powers which Chief Hakoda challenged to a one-on-one duel. So, you might be asking yourself, why? Surely Hakoda knew he was going to lose."

Some of the younger children did seem confused. After all, what good would a one-on-one duel be against such an invincible bender? The first time Katara had heard the story she'd thought that Hakoda must've had some devious plan to overcome the General. But it wasn't that kind of story, and it wasn't that kind of world.

"You see children, except for the gentle Prince Ozai, the Fire Nation does not accept surrender. They see it as an act of cowardice, below humanity's dignity. If you surrender to the Fire Nation, you give up your human rights. They'll butcher the men and children like animals, and rape the women. Then, once they're finished they'll kill them too. Fighting and losing was the only option. But General Iroh, while maybe a nice enough fella over tea, was full of bloodlust. He was looking to sate it. So my best friend, ole' Hakoda, when he offers the General a one-on-one duel, he's gotta satisfy the General's urges all by his lonesome. The fight starts off innocent enough. A burn here. A burn there. Our hero Hakoda, he's trying, and he's a fine waterbender. But this Iroh dude, he just beat Hama, and she could do things nobody else could even dream about. Hakoda is completely outclassed. And the fight is slow. Painful. And Iroh, let's just say he seems eager to have Hakoda surrender. After each burn he keeps asking Hakoda to concede. But our chief, he refuses. He cares about us like we're his family."

The Chief's hands hovered over the flame. Closer and closer. He grimaced. Katara tried to subtly cool the fires, but well, fire was hot. Fire burnt. Fire destroyed.

"Hama screamed when she was burnt. I think anyone would. I would. But Chief Hakoda, he didn't scream. Not when Iroh burnt his arms. Not when Iroh burnt his legs. Hakoda, he never surrendered. He lost, but he never surrendered. Not even when Iroh burnt his eyes. Because in the Southern Water Tribe, we may lose, but we will never surrender. No one epitomized that more than Hakoda. He was the finest man I ever knew, and the best friend a man could ask for."

The Chief's smile lit up the tribe. A child raised his arm.

"Is Katara really General Iroh's daughter?"

The Chief's smile vanished. "I can't say. Kya was not happy after Hakoda's death, that I know for sure. She disappeared into the tundra. General Iroh followed, and returned with Katara sometime later. That is all I, or anyone else knows. He did not strike me as the kind of man who would force a woman, nor did Kya seem interested in taking another partner. I do know this though: Chief Hakoda would have treated Katara like one of his own. We must honor the Chief's wish."

Katara smiled. Or tried to. So… She really shoulda' just gone fishin' with Sokka.

Staying had been a mistake.

* * *

"I just need one more thing," Sokka said, his voice so self-satisfied he coulda been that jerk Hahn. His stupid steel toy boat floated lifelessly in a little bucket of water.

"Coal?" Katara asked, playing with a torch lit in another room in the ship. Pushing the fire up, pulling it down. Push and pull. Yin and yang.

"No," Sokka said. "What would be the point of that? The Fire Nation already has steam boats. What we need is gasoline."

"Great," Katara said. "What's that?"

"It can be refined from crude oil. See if you fill a big vat with oil, and heat it up, the oil will naturally separate into different layers. The second coolest layer gets you gasoline."

"Right," said Katara. How could Sokka be so interested in something so boring? "Where can we find it?"

"Crude oil can be found in great deposits under the earth." Sokka said. Katara opened her mouth to reply, when Sokka inexplicably continued. "It's made from crushed bodies of dead plankton. Plankton are these tiny animals, so small you can't even see 'em, that little fish eat. Then the fish we eat, eat those smaller fish. So if you think about it, we kinda eat the plankton too!"

"And what do the plankton eat?" Katara asked sarcastically.

"Cyano-"

"Oh right, I don't care," Katara said. "What does it matter where it came from? If it's under the ground, how do we get it? It's not like we have an earthbender to help us mine it."

Sokka shook his head and sighed. "You really should learn some science Katara. It offers a new perspective on the…"

Katara tuned out and focused on the fire in the nearby room. Bending came from the breath, of that she was sure. It also got stronger when she was angry, so maybe there was a connection between anger and bending. Hahn had called her a Fire Nation monster the other day. Qeorvik had pretended not to notice her when they'd both been cleaning fish. They were in the same room for the moon's sake, the girl could at least look at her! It was working, the fire was getting stronger!

So anger made bending stronger. But maybe, what if? She thought about Sikuaq showing her how to make hair loopies. The obnoxious girl had done it without even thinking! Yup, that made her bending stronger too. So it turned out that any strong emotion, good or bad, could power up her firebending!

 _That's the thing about bending. If you want to know its inner workings and rules, you must test them. Speculating can lead to faster short term improvement, but true knowledge must be tested because of your feeble hum-_

"...Earth to Katara!" Sokka waved his hands in front of her face. He sighed. "Whatever. Look here." He spread out a map on the floor. Katara couldn't read it, but she could still tell it was a map of the boat. "I think we might be able to find some oil here." He pointed to a room on the top level of the boat. Right in the front.

"That's the captain's quarters right?" Katara asked. "Don't you think it's like, probably, you know totally booby trapped?"

Sokka scratched his chin, then stood. "Perhaps it is booby trapped Katara. But us tribesmen share an unquenchable thirst for knowledge! We're not put out by silly things like what if _this happens_ , or what if _that happens_ , we jump into the water headfirst!"

Katara exhaled, putting out the fire in the nearby room. "Alright Sokka. Jump."

Sokka glanced down at her and frowned. "Aren't you gonna, you know, tell me, 'Sokka, we need to talk to the Chief about this! Gosh you're so irresponsible!'"

"Nope," said Katara.

"It is dangerous Katara," Sokka lectured, starting to pace the engine room. "What if the Fire Nation figures out what we're doing? I could be getting us all killed." He kneaded his hands.

"Nah," Katara said, smirking. "The Fire Nation only respects bending remember? They don't care about your stupid little toys. They'll think they're a complete waste of time. They'll think you're being a delusional idiot."

"Is there something you want to tell me Katara?"

She smiled innocently. "Only half."

"Very funny," Sokka said. "The Fire Nation is winning this war because of their technological superiority. If we ever want to turn the tide-"

"Sokka?" Katara asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're not stalling are you? You scared?"

"I'm just thinking," Sokka sighed. "Maybe we should tell Bato. This is bigger than me. This concerns the entire tribe. This isn't my decision to make."

Katara laughed in his face. "Then go. Tell them. You know how I feel about your little science obsession. I think it's great that you're finally opening your eyes Sokka. They're a bunch of cowards. They'll put a stop to this madness."

"You're the one who needs to open your eyes Katara," Sokka snapped.

Sokka's insistence of science over bending was getting annoying. That wasn't how the world worked. It never had been. The world had changed because Sozin, a firebender, had decided to try his hand at world conquest, while the Avatar, the perennial greatest bender, had vanished. The person who controlled the fate of the planet had always been the strongest bender.

"Our tribe aren't cowards. We've been conquered before. We're at the whims of more powerful countries. We want to have pride, but we've never managed to do more than survive. That's all we've got. Survival. And we cling to it with all we've got. You understand that, right Katara?" Sokka's gaze was more than a little desperate.

Katara's face went red, as she realized how bitter she'd sounded. How angry she'd allowed herself to become. She'd always had problems with controlling her rage, but she'd always taken it out on people who deserved it. Not on the Chief. Not on Sokka. What was happening to her?

"I'm…" For some reason the words wouldn't come out. But she was sorry. She'd overcome her resentment towards the- her- tribe someday. Her ho… Her ho… Where she lived. "I want to bend Sokka. But I don't. For the tribe. For your science. I need to know it's worth it. Let's go."

"I," Sokka said. "You're right. We can do this. We'll make the Southern Water Tribe the strongest country in the world. And it all starts right here, with this little boat."

The two of them tip-toed, well Sokka tip-toed up two flights of stairs, across a hallway, and opened a heavy pair of doors. The room was like the rest of the ship. Empty. Except for a desk. Katara strolled to it, jumping over a trip wire. Well, look at that, Sokka had been right. It had been booby trapped. Of course only the clumsiest oaf would get caught in something so obvi-

"Eek!" Sokka tripped the wire. A volley of arrows exploded from a wall, hurtling straight at him. Katara took a breath, and annihilated the arrows with a fireball.

Sokka was safe, but she heard something sizzling, like fat on a frying pan. Bang! A flare left a red cloud as it twinkled in the sky. If any Fire Nation ships were nearby, well they'd almost certainly take it as an act of aggression. Big deal. Sokka was safe. If the same thing happened a hundred times, Katara would firebend the arrows to ash a hundred times. Besides, if the Fire Nation sent an armada, this time they had the Last Waterbender to protect them.

And her of course. Katara would help the Southern Water Tribe. If they asked for it. If they begged.

Anyways, they'd come here for gasoline right? Katara checked the desk, pulled open some drawers, and sure enough, found a bottle of liquid as black as midnight. How the heck was Sokka always able to predict these kinda things, but miss a simple trip wire? Was he an idiot or a genius?

"Katara," Sokka said slowly. "You firebent?"

"I found the gasoline," Katara said, shaking the drum.

"You promised not to," Sokka said. "We promised!"

"It was an emergency."

"So what? You keep a promise no matter what! A promise doesn't mean anything if you break it as soon as it's inconvenient!"

"You would've died if I hadn't used my bending!"

"Then you should've let me die!" Sokka said. "This whole thing was my idea. My responsibility. I tripped the wire, and now the entire tribe is gonna have to pay for it!" He was glancing back and forth across the horizon. As if a Fire Nation armada was gonna fall outta the sky. "Promise me Katara. If the Fire Nation comes, promise me you won't firebend again."

"I'll be our only hope," Katara gushed. "I'll protect the tribe with my bending. I promise Sokka, I'll get us out of this."

She'd be a hero. Then she'd be treated like a hero. Then maybe she wouldn't be so angry all the time. Then maybe she'd become a good girl. A good person. Like she used to be.

"How are you not getting this?" Sokka threw up his arms. "Nothing good comes from bending!"

"I saved your life," Katara said. "I think that counts as a good thing."

"You might've just killed the entire tribe for one person. That's a bad thing Katara! A really, really _bad_ thing."

"I saved a Prince." Katara fought off a smile. "I think if you told the tribe what happened they'd be pretty happy with my firebending."

Sokka slapped his forehead. "Don't tell me you believe that crap too? What have I ever done Katara? I'm not a Prince. I'm not even a man, I'm just a kid. I wanna do great things someday, cool, so does everyone else! I'm just another member of the tribe! We're equals. _Equals_. Why can't anyone else see that? The world isn't made up of heroes and bad guys and peasants Katara, that's just for stories."

Katara grimaced. What in the moon was this? She'd saved him, and he was angry with her?

"If the roles were reversed," Katara said. "And you had to bend to save me, what would you have done Sokka?"

Her brother froze. "The roles weren't reversed."

"What would you have done Sokka?"

Sokka grabbed the gasoline from her. "C'mon Katara. Let's go tell the Chief what I've _actually_ done. I fucked up bad, the least I can do is face the consequences of my actions."

"What _we've_ done," Katara corrected.

"What _I've_ done," Sokka insisted. "I'm the older one. This is my responsibility."

Katara could've skipped back to the tribe. There was a reason Sokka hadn't answered her question. She'd cornered him. If the roles had been reversed, her older brother would have absolutely done the same thing she did. For all his talk, deep down he knew the truth.

Bending was useful. Those with bending were special.

 _Bending matters._

* * *

"So let me get this straight Sokka," The Chief said, shaking his head. "You found a Fire Nation Cruiser- and told no one, including me, your Chief- which was full of textbooks, and studied them in secret for years, and used them to build this?" The Chief nodded to the toy boat in a puddle in the middle of his igloo. "You brought your sister into the mix, and while she wanted to tell me about your mischief, you convinced her otherwise. Together the two of you went to the Captain Ukano's old room, and you accidentally tripped a wire which set off an emergency Fire Nation flare. That's the entire story? Nothing else happened? No bending?"

"That's correct sir," said Sokka.

"And Katara knew nothing about this? I find that hard to believe. You two do everything together."

"Just me," Sokka lied. "I was the one who found the ship. I was the one who explored it. I was the one who wanted to search the Captain's room. Just me. Today was her first day in the cruiser."

"Is this true Katara?" The Chief asked.

"It is," Sokka answered.

"Is this true _Katara_?" The Chief asked again.

Gone was the kind old man who acted like everyone's father. In his place was, a… A Chief. The leader of the Southern Water Tribe. Sokka had insisted she come with him this time. He'd said it was time he stopped shielding her from the world.

She could blow up Sokka's brilliant plan with one word.

"Erm," Katara mumbled. "Yeah, I guess."

"Well," said the Chief. "Let's see it then."

"See what sir?" Asked Sokka.

"The boat, the one you built. Show me the invention so important you risked the entire tribe to get it running."

Sokka turned a knob, and the toy boat started to rumble. Roar like an animal. It jumped, and skidded it's way across the puddle. When it hit the water's edge it leapt onto the ice, and kept on going until it slammed into the edge of the igloo. It cracked into the ice wall, and the front of the hull ruptured. The invention Sokka had dedicated years of his life to, started to burn, ruined just moments into its first run.

Sokka yelped and poured snow onto his ship, trying to put out the fire. It wasn't the kinda flame that could be killed with water, but Katara bent it away.

"Calving glaciers," the Chief said slowly. "That's it then. That's what you've dedicated your life to building."

"Um…" Sokka's eyes were wet. "Yes sir. This is what I believe in. Science. You. Me. Unlike bending, anyone can do it. That's why…"

"Well." The Chief picked up the boat, inspecting it closely. "It's strong at least. What powers it?"

"It's called an internal combustion engine," Sokka said listlessly. "The um… The Fire Nation ships all run on coal. Steam. It's a very diffuse energy source sir. It results in slow bulky ships. If we could build a cruiser powered by gasoline we'd sail circles around 'em."

The Chief gave the toy back to Sokka. "It won't work son. Going against the Fire Nation is a fool's errand. We don't even have any benders anymore!"

Katara smirked. If only he knew. She opened her mouth, but Sokka shut her up with a glare.

"You should've known better. Your father would be ashamed."

Despite his words, Katara saw the truth. Heard the truth. The hunger in the Chief's eyes. The desire underneath his words. The Chief wanted to be convinced. He wanted Sokka to be the next chief.

And the thing was…

It was there. Her brother was a leader. Everyone saw it. He'd lead the Southern Water Tribe to greatness someday. With his stupid science.

"And I should care why?" Sokka asked coldly. "What do _you_ think Bato? Are _you_ ashamed of me?"

"I…" Bato said, squirming. "Your father was…"

Sokka rolled his eyes.

And Bato took a swing. "You spoiled little welp! I should've done this earlier. Sometimes respect can only be learned through a whupping."

Sokka ducked under the punch. "Bring it on ole' man."

And the confession turned into an old fashioned brawl. Katara took that as her signal to leave. She was left asking herself one question: Why hadn't she just come clean?

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

Sokka wandered back home early the next morning. He had a couple bruises, walked with a limp, and sported a nasty black eye. "I deserved the punishment," Sokka claimed loudly. "That's why I let Bato win."

Gran-Gran snorted, and told Sokka it was his turn to wash the dishes and fetch water. Sokka whimpered and complained that he'd been beaten so badly he couldn't possibly be expected to do such chores.

"Make Katara do it," Sokka said.

"Sokka," Gran-Gran warned.

"Alright, alright," Sokka said, and grabbed a bucket full of dirty dishes. Katara left with him.

"Those are Sokka's chores Katara," Gran-Gran said. "Don't do them for him. They're his responsibility. His contribution."

"I know Gran-Gran."

Katara hopped out of the igloo. She needed to ask her brother some questions.

"I love you Katara," Gran-Gran called after her.

"Love ya Gran-Gran," Katara called back. In a short while, she was sitting by a fire, watching Sokka clean the same dish about fifteen times. "Anything more happen?" Katara asked. "After I left and you took your beating?"

"Not much." Sokka stared at the plate, and shrugged. "It's just- Bato told me he'd never let me become a man. Not as long as he was Chief. He told me I could've destroyed the entire tribe with my selfishness."

"That's not fair!" Katara said, and all the campfires in the tribe flared up at once. "You're the oldest child in the tribe Sokka! You've deserved the opportunity for years! And it's not true! I was the one who-"

Sokka shook his head, holding the plate limply. "My fault. I deserve it. That flare could've brought in the entire Fire Nation."

"Yeah but still," Katara sniffed. "It was my fault too. C'mon, we both knew it's true. I was the one who convinced you to find the gasoline, I was the one who actually ignited the flare. If you're being punished, I should be punished too. Why'd you lie? Why'd you say it was only you?"

"Why'd you go along with it?" Sokka inspected the dishes very, very carefully. Suddenly they were the most interesting thing in the world. "C'mon Katara, we both know why. Don't make me say it."

Katara's lip wobbled. Her eyes stung. Her stomach sunk. "Say it Sokka."

"It's because Bato," Sokka grimaced, as if each word hurt him almost as much as Katara. "And the tribe. Well eventually, I know that, eventually they'll forgive me. But you… They'd never forgive you Katara."

"Why?" Katara asked, her words as forceful as a fire strike. "Say it!"

"Because I'm family." Sokka shrunk. His voice, already a whisper, grew quieter with every word. "And you're… Not."

Katara felt herself smile. She'd known it was true for as long as she could remember. It felt good to have it out in the open. All this tribe family stuff that they liked to spout off about, it was all a bunch of crap.

"I'm gonna tell them," Katara said softly. "About the flare. About my bending. Everything."

"No, you can't," Sokka said desperately.

"I'm tired of hiding who I am," Katara said.

"That's not who you are Katara," Sokka said. "It's just a small little part. You can change. You can change Katara."

"I can't," Katara said firmly. "I'm a firebender Sokka."

"No."

"Yes."

"You promised," Sokka begged. "You promised me! It's our secret Katara." His voice broke. " _Our secret._ "

So. It was like that huh?

"Fine," Katara said bitterly. "I'll keep _it_ a secret."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Katara said.

"Thank you, thank you," Sokka said, taking her hand. "It'll get better Katara. I promise it'll get better."

Katara shook him off, and stormed away. She needed to be alone.

"Bye Katara," Sokka called after her. "I love you."

She didn't look back. She didn't answer. She was leaving.

* * *

Katara kicked the canoe into the water. She should've done this a long time ago. It didn't matter that it was midnight, it didn't matter that it was hundreds of miles to Kyoshi Island, she was finally leaving. It felt like her life was finally starting.

"Katara," Gran-Gran said.

Katara couldn't look back. Because if she did, she wasn't sure she could go through with this. With abandoning everything. "Don't try and stop me Gran-Gran."

Gran-Gran handed her a bucket full of clean water, and the cover of a frying pan. "If you light a fire under it, fresh water will separate from the salt."

Katara took the bucket. "I've got nothing to start a fire."

Gran-Gran smiled knowingly. "I'm sure you'll find a way."

"I have to do this Gran-Gran," Katara said stiffly.

"I know," Gran-Gran hugged her. "I understand Katara. You'll always have a home in the Southern Water Tribe."

"If I did, I wouldn't be leaving."

Gran-Gran stoked her hair. "You'll always have a home with me."

Katara pulled away, and got in her canoe. And as she always did with family, she left.

 _Open your eyes Katara. Bending is all that matters to you._

She couldn't disagree with the alien voice that had always followed her, no matter its obvious contempt. And her hatred, her rage, as dangerous as a loaded crossbow, which she had directed at Hahn, then Qeorvik, then Sokka, then the Chief, then the Tribe, was finally pointed at the one person who actually deserved it.

Herself.

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for reading. Tune in next week for the beginning of the end, with the first part of chapter 12: The Phoenix Returns... Here's a sneak peek:

The Chief was talking with someone new today. Chatting. Laughing. Bursting at the seams like he was talking with an old friend.

The newcomer was an ordinary middle-aged man who almost looked like he was from the Fire Nation, except for his eyes… They weren't the ocean blue of the Water Tribe, nor were they the honest green of the Earth Kingdom, not the wise gray of the Air Nomads, or even the intense gold of the Fire Nation. They were brown. Spectacularly unspectacular.

"Are you the Avatar?" The brown-eyed man asked.

"I am," said Avatar Aang. "I'm here to save this tribe."

"Sorry. I just... I have done my best... But I am not… I have been waiting for you for a long time." The brown-eyed man wiped his brown eyes. Aang noticed how tired the man looked. His skin had an unhealthy pale glow, and his black hair was thin and frail. "I am… I come from the Fire Nation. We should not have killed the Air Nomads. It was a great atrocity that should never have happened. I apologize."


	2. Chapter 1 - Evil Reborn

Author's Note: Some people like heroes. I like villains. Don't worry, we'll get to Aang and Zuko and the rest of the cast fairly quickly. But of all the small character changes I've made for this story, Ozai's is the largest. Or perhaps the smallest? He's the same except without the megalomania. Perhaps because he's got asthma. Pretty tough thing for a firebender.

* * *

Ozai needed something for Azula. He had a firebender's mask for his son Zuko, but he didn't dare give Ursa's daughter that present. What would she want? The stand contained an assortment of Earth Kingdom trinkets: dolls, lamps, flowers; nothing that would interest the prodigy. In the end he settled on a blank scroll.

"Far from home?" The shopkeep asked. "Would you like me to write a message?"

Ozai smirked. "If you wouldn't mind?"

The shopkeep dipped her brush in ink. "Go ahead. I'm ready."

"My dear Azula, I am sorry, but I had no choice. The voices screamed for me to do it." Ozai stopped to chuckle. "I resisted for as long as I could, but in the end there was no stopping it. It is not your fault. Take your mother and run. Please keep this a secret. You are the only one I can trust."

The shopkeeper had stopped writing halfway through.

Ozai frowned. "Is there a problem?"

"Are you… Just what are you planning?"

Ozai leaned down on the stand, so he and the shopkeep were face to face. "Do you really want to know?"

"Are you…" Sweat dripped off the shopkeep's second chin. She was a short woman, and reminded Ozai of a fat, doddering mouse-chicken. The pudgy shopkeep met his eyes. "Are you planning on killing someone?"

Brave, this one. "Why yes," Ozai drawled. "Yes I am."

He narrowed his eyes. "Now finish the note."

"I can't," the shopkeep said desperately. "There are doctors in the city who can make problems like this go away. They can make you forget. Whatever you're going through we can help. You don't have to face this alone!"

"I am well aware of Long Feng," Ozai put his hand over the shopkeep's. "His methods of controlling the populace are subtle and surprisingly effective. Still though…"

The woman started to scream.

"They reveal his weakness. True power has no need for subtlety now does it Fan?" Ozai whispered. "Am I saying your name right? _Fan_?"

Fan jerked her head up and down, in quick terrified motions. Some would think her a strong woman, standing up to him. Those people were fools. She was courageous, yes, but not strong. If she were truly strong she would fight back, and she would win.

"Won't you finish the note for me?" Ozai commanded sweetly, lifting her hand and revealing it unblemished.

Fan stared at her hand a moment, collected herself, and finished the note with quick, efficient brush strokes. "There, I've done what you want, now go!"

Ozai frowned.

"Please," Fan begged. "Leave me in peace."

"What do you take me for?" Ozai asked, hands on hips.

Fan quivered. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Ozai beamed. "I haven't paid yet!" He flipped her a gold coin and went on his way. Excellent penmanship on the scroll. Yes, Fan must have been born with innate talent and ambition to be running a shop as a woman in the misogynistic Earth Kingdom. It was a shame she hadn't been born in the Fire Nation. Perhaps they could have molded her into something useful.

He walked through the crowded streets of Ba Sing Se. Below him were stone roads which smelled like stale alcohol, were covered in broken glass bottles, and lined with dirty homeless filth. It brought him great pride though, that he was no longer walking in excrement. He had worked long and hard to make sure that this backwards hovel had a functioning plumbing system. He would not allow Iroh's greatest military feat to be the conquest of a second rate city.

Now, he needed someone from the Earth Kingdom to deliver his precious treasures to his children. The fate of the world depended on it.

"Shh. It's okay. Shh," a mother consoled a small snivelling child.

Ozai fought to keep the scowl from his face. Crying was unsightly. Still, he knew how to handle such displays. Ozai took an instrument from a nearby stand.

"May I?" Ozai asked the standowner.

The owner gave a slight nod.

Ozai strummed the instrument to his favorite Earth Kingdom tune. "Leaves from the vine, falling so slow. Like fragile, tiny shells, drifting in the foam."

The boy perked up. Excited by the prospect of war.

"Little soldier boy, come marching home. Brave soldier boy, comes marching home." Ozai smiled. "You'll grow up strong, won't you?"

The boy straightened his back, and gave Ozai a salute. "Yes sir!"

Ozai saluted back to him, and marched away. He drifted this way and that, letting the tides of fate guide him until his final appointment. He found himself in a dirt courtyard, watching a group of kids playing earth soccer.

Sports bored Ozai. They were a practice for war, nothing more. Still, some of the underlying themes permeated through both activities. Competition. Victory. Defeat. Strength. Weakness. The boys battled desperately for dominance on the courtyard. Their skills were quite polished, their teamwork impeccable, and they even weaved earthbending into the conflict. The ball zipped from boy to boy, until a weakling tripped and popped the ball through a window.

"Hey," somebody called from the building.

"You," Ozai pointed to the weakling. He was a tall boy, with lithe muscles. "You did this. You should admit it. The strong need not hide what they do. They fight for what they want and emerge victorious."

"When I'm through with you kids, the window won't be the only thing that's broken," the voice shouted. Ozai thought he saw the outline of a large man through the building.

The four boys stood frozen. Fools.

"The question is, are you strong?" Ozai asked.

The boys ran. A good decision. It was better for the weak to act as such.

"You!" A large muscled man said. "Where'd those dang kids go?"

"That way," Ozai pointed the man in the correct direction. The man rushed away, and Ozai shook his head. The man was already panting. The kids were going to get away. This was why it was better to acknowledge one's weaknesses. If the man had more control, he could have snuck up on the children silently and pounced when his prey was vulnerable.

He checked his watch. Almost time. He started to walk towards the wall. Towards the large, everpresent billow of ash. Hmm, perhaps a shortcut? Ozai stepped out of the arterial and into a back alley.

"You, give me all your money!" A downtrodden, middle-aged man barked.

Ozai laughed. The man knee's touched, and he was holding his knife backwards.

"I'm a deep Earth Kingdom spy," Ozai said. "I'm to assassinate a Fire Nation general."

"Wh-what are you-you talkin- talking about?" The man asked, gaze upon the rising ashes by the wall. "There is no-no war in Ba Sing Se."

Ozai followed the man's stare, and gave him the scroll and the mask, and shook his hand. "Deliver this scroll to my family. They live in the royal palace in Capital City. It contains important information which may save their lives. Otherwise they'll be tried for treason."

"Why should I?" The man asked. "You're not the boss of me!"

"Because dear Tycho," Ozai patted him on the shoulder. "If you don't I'll kill you, and all your family."

"How do you know my name?" Tycho demanded.

"You're in no position to be asking me questions," Ozai reminded him gently. "This is a mugging. Now go deliver my message. Now Tycho! Do it now!"

Tycho stumbled from Ozai, tripped, crawled, and finally ran. Ozai wondered which of the messengers he'd sent would make it. It was convenient that he'd helped Long Feng create the Dai Li. After he was dead, they would be able to erase the couriers who were unsuccessful.

Ozai skipped and whistled through Ba Sing Se. The beautiful song of war filled his ears. Houses on fire, families scurrying past him, soldiers rushing with him. It appeared that Iroh had finally done it. He'd breached the impenetrable wall. Ozai shook his head, tonight would truly be the Earth Kingdom's final tale. And perhaps, if everything went according to plan, the start of something truly extraordinary.

Ozai walked through the battlefield unnoticed. Such a beautiful thing. Men fighting for their lives. Fire and earth waged war around him, but Ozai parted the sea of destruction effortlessly. He stopped to view the initial penetration of the city's barrier. Burnt ash, rubble, and molten rock. The wall looked as if it had been attacked by a dragon. It warmed Ozai's skin.

He walked out of the city. Out of his brother's shadow. It was finally time for Ozai to fight.

A lone tree stood in a meadow of short grass. Underneath the tree stood the man that would inherit the world. A man Ozai loved as he never could his own son.

"Uncle?" Lu Ten asked. "Why have you called me out here?"

"Lu Ten," Ozai said. "I know it has been difficult being the son of The Last Dragon, but you have met and exceeded my expectations. I have always been proud of you."

"Yes," Lu Ten said. "It has been. Thank you uncle."

"I have taught you everything I know about firebending," Ozai smiled tenderly.

"Have?" Lu Ten asked sadly. "I will always need your guidance uncle."

"You've completed every task I have ever given you," Ozai said. "Training you has been more fulfilling than you can possibly imagine. You have given my life purpose. Thank you nephew."

"Why are you speaking like this?" Lu Ten asked. "Do you think you're just a teacher to me? When I was eight and wet my bed, you were the one who… When mother died, and father was fighting in some battle, it was you who… You've always… You must know uncle, you're like a… like a…"

"I know," Ozai said softly. "And I see you as my brother's son."

Lu Ten shrank. He didn't understand Ozai's childhood. The lack of strength that Ozai could never overcome. Zuko was Ozai's son. A reflection of his own weakness. Despicable. He could never compare to the brilliance of Lu Ten.

"You have great skill, great strength, but still lack one thing," Ozai said. "Your father has never been able to overcome this hurdle. Accomplish this final task, and you can be the greatest bender the world has ever seen. Do you understand what you must do?"

Lu Ten shook his head, eyes misted. "No… Not… Not this… I can't do it. I won't do it uncle!"

Ozai wiped away Lu Ten's tears. "Yes you can. You are stronger than you know."

"I love you Lu Ten. It is time for you to prove your worth." Ozai got into a fighting stance. He was the weakest firebender ever born into the royal family. Lu Ten had defeated far, far stronger opponents, but this fight would be challenging in a different way. To win, Lu Ten would have to throw away his humanity. "Now kill me nephew. For I will try to kill you."

Lu Ten set his stance through trembling fists.

 _Wonderful._

Ozai blinked. Who had said that?

Lu Ten looked around, sighed, and stiffened his posture.

Ozai would have to be aggressive. Perhaps his flames were weak, perhaps they were pathetic, but his true limitation was his heart. The Cardiac Kid indeed, he could not fight for more than two minutes before it gave out.

Lu Ten glared at Ozai, back straight and determined. His nephew refused to strike first.

So Ozai did. He drew breath, and launched an attack with everything he could muster, drawing strength from the depths of his heart and soul. A feeble orange flame, barely visible, flickered towards Lu Ten. The boy blocked it with a flip of his coat, turning Ozai's fire slap away as if it were a petulant child.

Ozai panted. Darkness crept into the corners of his vision. He had put the entirety of his being into that blast. He could not muster another, but the grass had caught fire.

"Uncle," Lu Ten begged. "Reconsider. I don't want to kill you."

Ozai directed the grass fire towards Lu Ten. Manipulating the flame was easy for him. He had plenty of control, just no strength.

Fierce red flames exploded from Lu Ten, overpowering the brush fire. Ozai held out his hands and split the attack, catching and preserving a small amount of his nephew's power.

Lu Ten's lip quivered. Fury. Rage. Lu Ten roared. The dragon was finally awakened.

Ozai sent the last of his nephew's attack back at him.

Lu Ten dodged with a sway of his back, and sent a fireball at Ozai with a quick counter.

Ozai ducked for cover, and rolled away from a stream of fire. He hopped to his feet, and found a burst of flame upon him. He chopped it with his arms, slashing the strike in two. Ozai's shoulders burned from the heat.

Lu Ten launched a barrage of fire strikes, so powerful that Ozai could not block them. Ozai danced away from one strike, jumped over the next, and redirected another, but Lu Ten showed no signs of stopping and Ozai's heart was pounding out of control. He stepped into a fireball, and pushed it back at its sender.

Lu Ten dismissed the counter casually redirecting it into the ground.

Ozai panted heavily. His palms were red and blistered, his shoulder was beset by a needling pain, his legs barely supported him, and his vision was blurred. But he displayed none of his weakness. That would be unsightly.

Lu Ten took a deep breath and jab stepped towards Ozai, blue fire extending from two outstretched fingers. Ozai braced himself, dug in his heels, and focused all his chi into his palms. He met his nephew's strike head on, and tried to redirect the attack. The power and precision of the strike was marvelous. To block it was far beyond Ozai's capability.

Ozai remembered the first time he had bent fire to his will. He had been seven, and he had been so relieved. Now father would finally love him, as he did Iroh. Now the people would respect him, and acknowledge him as their prince. Now brother would finally stop treating him like he was a cute pet, and instead a rival to be feared. None of those things had happened of course, for he was still weak, and the world was no place for weaklings. After that he had known his fate. He would never be strong. Never. It was his destiny to perish before those that were truly blessed by Agni. But he would struggle. That was his purpose.

He would never give up without a fight. He fought to redirect the strike, even as his heart stopped, and his nephew showed no signs of fatigue. He drew his last breath in a final roar, a simultaneous act of defiance and love towards the universe, and miraculously managed to send the blue flame back at his nephew. A dark cloud of smoke filled the air. Had Ozai actually… Had he actually beaten fate? No… No! Impossible. He could not emerge victorious here. It was not his destiny. The weak could not overcome the strong. It was not right. It was not just. This could not be!

A gust of wind howled through the meadow, and the ash started to clear. Ozai squinted, looking desperately for his nephew.

He found him winding up for a lightning strike. Ozai tried to block, but felt his legs wobble and fail. He took the strike, and felt the power of the royal family flow through him. He fell to the ground and spasmed, no longer in control of his muscles. They expanded and contracted unnaturally, as he convulsed. Pain! Agony! Nerves fired out of control. Then they slowed, and Ozai felt cold. Frozen. Dying. Dead.

Lu Ten looked down at him. Like a god. So powerful. So strong. Ozai was so proud. Now it was time for his nephew to strike him down and achieve perfection.

Lu Ten's golden eyes screamed mur… No… No! Why were they wet? Why did his nephew smile?

"I will never kill you," Lu Ten said. "I'm sorry uncle."

Ozai could hear his nephew's footsteps recede, as he crushed the cinders of the meadow.

 _What?_ Mercy? _This was unacceptable._ This was supposed to be Ozai's fate. _How dare Lu Ten do this_. How dare Lu Ten betray him! _It couldn't end like this!_ It was a disgrace to the dance they'd been having.

An alien power surged through Ozai, giving him a strength he had never known before. _Now Ozai. Destroy!_

Lightning flashed, thunder roared, and Lu Ten fell.

Ozai fell to his knees. Lu Ten did not move. Agni… Oh Agni. What had he done? Precious nephew. No, no, NO! He'd been with the boy since he was a pup. Nothing had moved his heart like Lu's precious smi-

His heart, he could not feel it. So he had not imagined it. His heart had failed in the battle. It did not beat. So why was he-

 _Do you think I will let my champion die so easily?_

The voice calmed him. Ozai inspected the corpse, and could only feel contempt. He had always thought Lu Ten strong, but when the time came, he refused to use his power. The only thing worse than being born weak was being weak willingly.

But perhaps all was not lost. Iroh would not stand for this. Iroh would seek revenge, and he would have it. Ozai would be dead, and Azula would be furious. Civil War. Yes, peace would not prevail. The world would still be at war, and it would finally be a battle of worth. Fire against fire. Ursa's daughter had the blood of the Avatar, and was a bender of unrivalled skill. Unnatural skill. Like the Avatar…

Ozai considered the genocide of the airbenders the greatest atrocity ever committed. The Fire Nation, the most powerful country in history, had killed the Avatar as a child. They should have waited. Allowed the Avatar to reach his strongest possible state and then waged war. If they could overcome the Avatar, the true benchmark of power in the world, they would know that their fight was just. For their cowardice, the Avatar had vanished. Retribution. Ozai thought it unfair, that he should be punished for the sins of his ancestors. Someday, Ozai hoped the Avatar would come back. To be defeated by Iroh, or perhaps Azula. A part of him still wished to face the Avatar, but he was long past such fantasies. Killing the Avatar was every benders dream, but could only be achieved by someone truly strong.

And Ozai would always and forever be weak. That was his destiny. It should not have been Lu Ten's. Somewhere in raising the boy Ozai had grown soft. He had trained a weakling. If he survived Iroh's wrath, he would not allow this tragedy to repeat itself.

 _Ahh Ozai._ A voice within himself said. _This is wonderful. Beautiful. Perfect. You've surprised me. It appears I've been after the wrong brother. You are the one I have been searching for. I'd like to say hello. My name is-_

* * *

Iroh gasped. A great evil had left him, and for the first time he could see the world clearly. Agni's ashes…

Ba Sing Se was filled with groans of agony and wails of despair. The air had a salty scent from the earth kingdom soldiers burnt alive. A firebender had a large indent in his skull, eyes dull, feet occasionally twitching. A group of child peasants begged surrender, but were met with flames from Iroh's soldiers.

Why had he always seen war as such a beautiful thing? Because of _him_. The great _other_. This… This was an abomination. He… He couldn't stomach another moment.

"Find Ozai," Iroh said to a lowly commander. "Tell my brother we're going home. We're abandoning this siege. And if you can, tell Lu Ten as well."

The commander gave a curt nod, and bolted away.

How come his men were terrified of him? Iroh had spent so long cultivating an image of terror, and now he was left to ask himself: why?

The Last Dragon chuckled. To think he had found his heart on the precipice of his greatest military achievement. He'd finally broken the walls of Ba Sing Se and he lost his nerve now? Had he gone mad? No, for the first time ever he felt sane. His head was clear.

He would abdicate the throne after declaring Ozai firelord. His brother had done great things. Wonderful things. Beautiful things. Perfect things. While Iroh had been conquering the Earth Kingdom, Ozai had been saving it. Establishing modern medicine. Abolishing footbindings for women. Creating POW camps. And likely a multitude of other things which Iroh was unaware. While others had waited for the Avatar, Ozai had become the world's savior without anyone noticing.

When Lu Ten had been born, and was cradled in his wife's arms, Iroh had felt nothing for the baby. He was loud and annoying and had driven Iroh to the military. Every time he'd seen the boy he'd been filled with shame. Why wasn't he a better man? Why couldn't he cherish his son's smile the way he did a military conquest? Why was he evil? All excuses. He should have been fighting the evil within. Perhaps it was futile, but he would not give up without a fight.

Ozai had raised Lu Ten while Iroh ran from his failures. Ozai had taught Lu Ten everything important. How to firebend. How to be a man. Right from wrong. He'd always been there for the boy; the only man Lu Ten could truly count on. But no longer.

Iroh was finally ready to be a father.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for reading! Next Time on The First Firebender... "Fine," Sokka said. "But don't forget what they did to you Aang. You may just be an airbender, but together I believe that we can change the world."

"Thanks Sokka," Aang said, skipping towards Appa, trying to sound cheerful. He turned back, and called over his shoulder, "Oh and by the way. I'm the Avatar."


	3. Chapter 2 - Introductions

The old man smelled like urine. King Bumi must have soiled his silks before this meeting. Always so sneaky! Always so cunning!

Everything about this meeting was meant to unnerve. Ukano hated the dark neon glow, pulsing from green and red crystals. He hated the slight whisper of water hitting rock, a hundred feet underground. He hated that he was surrounded on all sides by enemy soldiers, and enemy earth. He hated this insane plan most of all. Ukano was aware of his limitations. He was an unimaginative, mediocre, Fire Nation General who had gotten lucky one too many times. Now the Fire Lord was rewarding him with the orders to conquer Omashu. Ukano sighed. At least if it didn't work his men would be okay. At least he'd said goodbye to Michi, Mai, and Tom-Tom.

"I puh-rose… Pur-pose…" Ukano coughed, and cleared his throat.

"Yes," Bumi cackled and balanced on his chair, displaying an unnatural spryness that belied his age. "You've got me on the edge of my seat."

"I propose," Ukano said carefully, as his legs tensed. He mustn't let his fear show. He would play the part of a confident general. He would choose his words perfectly and enunciate them clearly. "A one-on-one duel for Umasho."

Agni's ashes!

"For Umasho you say?" Bumi asked, swaying on his chair. "Maybe. I hear Umasho is a pretty rockin' place!"

"I meant to say Omashu," Ukano said... Confidently? Not a chance. "A one-on-one duel for Omashu."

"That's a little harder," Bumi said. "Normally I'd just say no. But…" Bumi stopped rocking his chair. "I'm intrigued by things that aren't what they seem. And you, General Ukano, do not seem like the undefeatable, bloodthirsty warlord that I've heard so much about."

"Oh," Ukano said. Bumi's fingers curled his wispy white hair into loops. Sinisterly. "Okay. So, um, about the proposal?"

Bumi cackled. Then stopped. And the King's pale green eyes suddenly seemed very, very sane. "Still I must do what is best for Omashu. Your army cannot breach my city's defenses. Why should I agree to a one-on-one battle, which I may lose, versus a prolonged siege, which I will surely win?"

Why indeed? His advisors had all told him the plan was sound. That Bumi would agree to the terms of battle. But Ukano had his doubts.

"I see," Ukano said. "So the Earth Kingdom is full of cowards. I've always told my soldiers that the weakest firebender is more powerful than the strongest earthbender." And the man in front of him was surely the most powerful earthbender in the world. Some said that he could earthbend with his face alone. The man could quite literally blink Ukano to death.

"Let me make this clear," Ukano said. "What I propose is a one-on-one duel for Omashu. Given your cowardly nature, you may choose the firebender you wish to battle."

Bumi picked his ear with a callused, gnarled finger.

"Should you win my army shall leave in peace. Should I win, you shall bring down your walls, and pledge Omashu's allegiance to the Fire Nation."

"I can see now why the Earth Kingdom Generals tremble before the mighty Ukano," Bumi said, rubbing his earwax off on his lower-class robes. "You've trapped me with my own curiosity. I agree to your terms."

Ukano couldn't help himself. He let out a breath. Fool, fool, fool! The Mad King Bumi could change his mind at any moment. "Then follow me," Ukano said. "I've got them lined up outside the city."

It was out of his hands now. All Ukano could do now was prey that his secret weapon could pull off one last miracle

* * *

Oof. Sokka landed in a pile of snow. Air ball sure was fun! So dang fun.

"Aang seven; Sokka zero," Aang cheered, bouncing up and down on a tall, thin… Were the beams made of bamboo or wood? Sokka had seen his first tree a few hours ago, and the rest of the world, with all its wonderful new thingamajigs called for him. He'd listen for a bit, find Katara, and then head back ho-

No, they couldn't go back there. Not after what they'd done to Katara. Exiling her, and in the middle of the night too! Sokka remembered that horrible morning, he'd searched for any clues, any reason for why she'd lef- been exiled. Bato hadn't even admitted that he'd done it, hadn't admitted he'd seen through Sokka's lie, and Sokka could never forgive the man for it. He'd even said that… That she'd… Katara would have said goodbye. If she'd… She would have told him!

If only he'd had a boat! If he'd just been able to finish his invention he'd have been able to search for Katara a long time ago. Instead they'd gone in a different direction. Before Katara… If things had been different he'd have loved what the Southern Water Tribe had become. Now it didn't even feel like it was his tribe anymore.

Sokka smiled. Once he found Katara he'd form a new tribe. One with her, Gran-Gran, Aang, and all the other outcasts the war had-

Oh no.

A Fire Nation helmet lay in the snow bank. The universe really knew how to cheer ole' Sokka up. No father. No mother. And then that whole thing with Katara's bending. Now this. Well he could handle it.

The helmet was rusty and cracked as if it were a hundred years old. What had happened in the Southern Air Temple a hundred years ago again? Everyone in the world knew except, apparently, for one extremely delusional fourteen year old airbender. Sokka sighed, he'd wanted to go to Kyoshi Island, but Aang had insisted they go here first. He didn't really want any part of this conversation, but when had what he wanted ever mattered? "Aang, you need to come see this."

"What is it Sokka?" Aang floated down to Sokka lightly, his strides leaving no footprints in the fresh snow. When was air bending going to get normal?

Sokka tilted his head at the helmet. "The Fire Nation was here. I know you don't want to-"

"Yeah I know, the Fire Nation wiped out all the airbenders a hundred years ago." Aang rolled his eyes. "The helmet is a nice touch Sokka, but you can't really expect me to believe that I took a hundred year nap. That's crazy."

Aang inspected the helmet closely, scratching off some rust. "It really does seem old though. Great work," he said lightly. Aang tossed Sokka the helmet. Just a bit to hard. The ornamental horns sliced Sokka's palms. "Why would the Fire Nation even care about the Air Nomads? We're peaceful monks!"

"Because of the Avatar," Sokka said, the words like ash in his mouth. "Only the Avatar can bring balance to the world." At least that's what everybody said. Even the Fire Nation believed it.

Aang's eyes darkened, before his face cleared and his bright expression returned.

Could this kid be? No that was crazy, he was an airbender. The last airbender. But still Sokka believed. Still Sokka hoped.

That he'd found a fellow rationalist. Benders had started the war, but they wouldn't end it. Nonbenders would. Science, not bending, would usher humanity into a golden age, and the Avatar could kick rocks for another hundred years. What did balance even mean anyways? It all sounded like lobster-shark. Delicious and wonderful and totally made up. Sokka's stomach rumbled.

"C'mon Sokka," Aang cheered, skittering towards the base of the mountainous temple. "I'll show you the kitchens! Monk Gyatso will make you a fruit pie!"

"Aang," Sokka said harshly. "They're all dead. Don't go inside."

"That's enough," Aang said levelly. "Even jokes can go too far. Stop it."

"I'm not joking."

"Shut up." Something in the boy's voice cut off Sokka's reply. "I thought we could be friends after we went penguin-sledding but I guess not." Aang leapt into the sky with his glider, and flew away.

Sokka ran after him, until his lungs started to burn, and blackness crept into the edge of his vision. It didn't matter how fast he ran he'd never catch Aang in time. The boy would land in the temple, and the first thing he'd see were the corpses of his… Sokka sighed. There was no stopping this. Aang would see what had happened, and Aang's little airbender heart was going to break. The best Sokka could do was be there for him.

When the ole' man had told him that the tribe would be moving away from his ship idea to pursue a more explosive form of technology, well he'd been just a tiny bit upset. Just a tiny bit. But he knew how to follow. Orders were orders. So he'd invented a blasting powder that he'd been convinced would be pretty strong. Sokka had never believed in something as silly as destiny, so when a freakin' airbender had popped out of the largest iceberg he'd known it meant one thing: He'd done it! He'd invented a powder so strong it destroy an iceberg, not that it was surprising of course, he was the greatest inventor in the whole entire South Pole. Aang getting pooped out though, well that had been surprising, he hadn't known icebergs could act as storage containers for hundred year old kids.

The point was that Sokka had decided to look after Aang on his own, not because of some stupid coincidence or some misguided belief in fate but because he liked the kid and he had the perfect tool for finding Katara: a flying freakin' bis-

"That's it!" Sokka snapped his fingers. "Am I a genius or what?"

Crickets chirped.

The universe would get him back for his bragging, Sokka was sure of it, but for now he'd go find Appa.

* * *

"And this is where we made the fruit pies," Aang said cheerfully.

"Hmm," Sokka said, inspecting the brick oven carefully. The tribesman promptly stuck his head inside the furnace, and shimmied around inside.

There was a crack lining one of the arches of the Air Temple. The masonry was covered in mildew, and cobwebs clung to the corners of every room and hallway. The airball field had been kind of worn down too. Aang hadn't seen a single airbender in the Temple. He shivered and hugged his sides. It was starting to look like Sokka might really be right. That the Air Nomads might really be- No. No, he couldn't think like that. He needed to think of something else. Anything.

Aang blew a big gust of wind into the oven.

Sokka rattled around, before popping out like a startled badgermole. "Why would you do that? Now all my furs are covered in disgusting ash! Pyew-pyew! What if I meet a girl Aang, what then huh? She's going to think I'm some sort of disgusting... ashy boy!"

Aang tried to laugh. But something inside him… It felt like there was a stone in his stomach. A cold, heavy, anxious stone.

Sokka seemed to catch on. "Maybe we should leave Aang. Nothing's here. Maybe you were right. Maybe when the Fire Nation attacked the Air Nomads just left. Maybe that's what happened."

It wasn't. His people would never abandon the Southern Air Temple. It was a holy place. But that didn't change the fact that nobody was…

Aang had to make a decision. Stay or leave. Believe something comfortable, or stay and find the truth, no matter how horrifying. Delusion or reality. He chose… He chose… Aang couldn't decide. What he wanted to do, more than anything was leave, fly away, and come back when everything was better.

"Hey Sokka," Aang said, hating himself, as his feet carried him to the next room. "I've changed my mind. Let's g-"

Reality punched Aang in the soul.

"Oh no," Sokka said.

The monks always said that the path to enlightenment was letting go of your connections. But the man who had taught him that was… was…

Monk Gyatso's skeleton was... He hadn't died with friends, monks, and fellow believers. The blood red of firebenders surrounded the man Aang had always regarded as a father. Although he'd never told Gyatso that. He'd never get to now. Because of them.

"I'm sorry Aang," Sokka placed a hand on his shoulder.

They'd done this. Gyatso was the most peaceful man Aang knew. 'Life is sacred,' he'd always say. He was kind, he was funny, and… and… He didn't deserve to die like this! They'd made him die a… a murderer. Monk Gyatso, his father, had died a hypocrite.

Something sparked in Aang. An emotion he'd never known. Hot and bright it warmed his heart. It burned it. If it stayed to long it would destroy him. The monks had warned about this, the most dangerous thing in the universe. Anger. Rage. Loathing. It burned inside him like a forest fire. Its call so tempting, when everything else felt like despair.

"It's because they were benders," Sokka said somberly, looking sideways at Aang. "My dad was killed by the Fire Nation too. He was the last waterbender our tribe ever had." He sat down and put an arm around Aang's shoulder. Aang couldn't quite make out Sokka's gaze. There was something in his eyes. He wiped them off and looked at his sleeve.

When had he started crying?

"I know what you're wondering," Sokka said listlessly, like he wasn't all there. "Why? Why did they do this? Are they just evil?"

Actually, he hadn't been thinking that. He probably should have, being but a peaceful monk and all, but he'd been to busy thinking about flattening the Fire Nation to rubble.

"Maybe. But the Fire Nation attacks those they see as threats. They haven't raided my village since my father died. The only thing they respect is bending. The more powerful the bending the more powerful the threat. But I don't believe that the Fire Nation was worried about Air Nomads. They were peaceful like you said." Sokka said. "The one they feared was the Avatar. He brought them to this temple. Just like my father brought them to my Tribe. If you hate anyone, Aang, you should hate the Avatar."

Oh. Of course… Of course. Aang knew it was true as soon as he heard it. This was the Avatar's fault. The coward had run from his duty! The elders had told the Avatar that Sozin had learned to predict Azulon's comet; that he needed to undergo a strenuous training regime to prepare for the coming attack. It was his duty to keep the Air Nomads safe. Sure the Avatar had been a kid, just barely younger than Aang himself, but if he'd just listened, if he hadn't run away, none of this would have happened!

"Everybody is waiting around for the Avatar to return and bring balance to the world. But not me. I'll make them pay for this Aang. I know, I know, I'm a nonbender and you're just a weak little airbender. It doesn't matter. Someday, we'll get our revenge. Someday, we'll make them go through what we've gone through. Someday, we'll get rid all those stupid bend- The Fire Nation."

Something in Sokka's voice scared Aang. He sounded so serious, so passionate about the evil things he was spouting. When hatred cooled it turned to bitterness, Aang realized, and bitterness ruined people. He wouldn't let the fire inside him burn out of control. He couldn't extinguish it, not yet at least, but hopefully someday. It was the way of the Air Nomad. Their teachings were all he had left of them. All he had left of anything.

"Aang? Do you need some time alone?"

Well that and Sokka.

"You have a sister right?" Aang asked. "Katara? You thought she might be in Kyoshi?"

"Yes." Sokka gave Aang a measured, assessing stare. "You want to leave."

"I want to find your sister."

Aang needed a goal. Something positive to work towards. Something he could feel good about. Just not revenge. He didn't want to think about that.

"Fine," Sokka said. "But don't forget what they did to you Aang. You may just be an airbender, but together I believe that we can change the world."

"Thanks Sokka," Aang said, getting on Appa, trying to sound cheerful.

"Kyoshi Island then?" Sokka asked.

"Yeah." Aang took a deep breath. It was time. Well, maybe a hundred years late, but better now than ever. Aang had never admitted his secret to anyone before, not to the other airbenders, not to Monk Gyatso, not even to himself. "Oh and by the way. I'm the Avatar."

Sokka snorted. "Oh please, you're just a kid."

Aang smiled. He was that too.

* * *

Ukano walked out of the city with some muscly old man. She looked at the firebender next to her. "Can you believe that? He really did it!"

"Silence savage!"

Well that wasn't very nice. Still, she was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. The old man, for all his whining, always came through. He'd even parted the stone walls of Omashu just for her.

King Bumi inspected the line of firebenders one by one. She picked at her blue furs to pass the time. She didn't have any real worries. In the end, they always ended up choosing her.

Finally her prey arrived to inspect her. The man smelled like a hunter after a long fishing trip.

"What's a thing like you doing in the Fire Nation?" Bumi asked, his attention on her attire.

He didn't seem that smart either. Must've gotten his throne through bending. There were lots of guys like that. As she saw more and more of the world she found herself agreeing with her older brother. Benders needed to be removed from positions of power. She was sure the citizens of Omashu would thank her for killing their tyrant king… Well no, they'd probably be angry, but she was still gonna kill him.

"Look up," she said.

Bumi met her golden eyes. "I see. An unfortunate product of war. It must've been tough growing up."

An unfortunate product? An unfortunate product… Maybe he didn't understand how offensive that was, but her firebending was gonna be powerful tonight. She'd ask him who the unfortunate one was, while she was burning him alive.

"General Ukano," King Bumi said, turning to stare at the quaking general. "You're a mad genius." Bumi cackled, snorting at least three times. Apparently, people actually did that.

"I choose you," Bumi said.

Those three little words made her heart race. Finally, finally! Katara grinned. It was time to fight.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for reading! Next time on The First Firebender: ...Katara's flame whipped off the wall and returned to her. She took a breath, sidestepped a rock, and grew her flame whip. Just a little.

The dirt beneath her feet started to liquify into mud. She slammed her hands down, and forced her fire to pool outwards, covering the ground like spilt water, rocketing towards the enemy.

Bumi pirouetted into a rock cocoon blocking the blast. Katara pulled herself out of the ground, but melon-sized rocks stuck to her feet, slowing her down. She tried to shake 'em off, but they clung to her like dried cement...


	4. Chapter 3 - Katara Vs Bumi

Author's Notes:

How did Sokka split open the glacier without Katara and also Aang's reaction to the discovery of his guardian's death and the extermination of his race was fairly tame since in canon he broke down into sobbing then entered the Avatar State in a fit of fury and grief and whipped up a cyclone that nearly demolished the temple's ruins and flung Katara and Sokka backwards.

When Aang was taken away by Zuko Katara suggested relying on Appa to ferry them to the battleship so what were Sokka's reasons for taking the flying bison?

Sokka split open the glacier when testing a new batch of blasting powder he had created. Aang's reaction was more tame because Sokka prepared him for what he was going to see. He showed him the Fire Nation helmet that Katara stopped him from presenting to Aang in the original story. Aang is also two years older than in cannon and more in control of his emotions. And there might be one other reason which I won't mention… Yet(Revealed in Chapter 9). Sokka wanted Aang's bison so he could look for his sister, who disappeared from the Southern Water Tribe some time before the start of the story. Until Appa arrived he had no way of leaving the South Pole. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

* * *

Well that didn't seem right. The old guy had muscles that would've made the old tribe playboy Anana jealous. Like, you could see the individual strands of muscle fiber rippling under his skin. It was kinda gross and kinda impressive, but it all went to show that this man, the Mad King Bumi, was the strongest earthbender in the world.

Katara just couldn't stop thinking about how much fun this was gonna be. Killing him. Watching all those big strong muscles pop, one by one, as the heat from her flames boiled the blood inside them.

"Stop staring," Bumi said bashfully, twiddling a gnarled toe. "You're making me blush."

"I've been waiting years for this Bumi." Katara's nostrils flared. He was one of the four benders Katara wanted to face before her ultimate, final showdown with the person who'd wronged her more than anyone else: The Last Waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. "Let me savor it."

"Now you're just being creepy," Bumi said.

The Earth Kingdom peasants started to boo from their side of the rafters. There was no questioning the usefulness of earthbending. King Bumi had crafted the stadium this morning, while Katara had practiced her firebending sets. Well maybe that was the difference between the two arts, maybe that was why the Fire Nation was winning the war. Earthbending had a multitude of uses, waterbending could heal, while firebending could only destroy. That suited Katara just fine. It was all she was good for anyways.

The stadium was packed, with the green of the Earth Kingdom and the red of the Fire Nation splitting the stands in clearly distinct halves. Bumi had come in as a two to one favorite. Katara had liked the odds, so she'd bet her entire savings on herself. Easy money. And if she lost, well she'd be dead, so it was really a win-win situation.

An old merchant man even threw a cabbage down at her. The peasants were cheering her on, booing their tyrant king. They needed her to be their hero. They even threw food down to her, she realized, to make sure she was properly fed for this important test. It made perfect sense.

And so did flying pig-cows.

Why did she always try and make herself out to be a good guy? They all hated her. Just like always. Just like they should, probably. When she'd left the Water Tribe, when she'd spit at all the sacrifices Sokka and Gran-Gran had gone through to raise her, she'd left all her honor and morals and values and all those other worthless things with them. Now she was just a firebender. So the rejection of these stupid peasants didn't hurt her. In fact...

"Don't eat that," General Ukano groaned, in the front row of the stands directly behind her.

Katara spit out the cabbage. He was right. Vegetables were gross. "Have you gotten the sea prunes yet?" What she wouldn't give for some meaty, succulent sea prunes. Everything in the Fire Nation was covered in gross spices that covered up the flavor of the meat.

"If you win this fight Katara, I'll give you as many sea prunes as you'd…" General Ukano trailed off, and looked at the firebenders surrounding him. They reminded her of the flock of penguin-otters after Sokka had fed them week old fish. She knew that the General wanted her to try to fit in, but that was impossible. Except for her eyes she looked like a member of the Water Tribe. They would always see her as a savage. She would never be Fire Nation, she would never be Water Tribe, so she could be whoever she wanted. Not having a home was kind of nice. Really. It was.

"If you win this fight I'll adopt you." General Ukano said.

"Make sure you have a couple buckets full of 'em, cuz' I'm hungry," Katara said cheerfully... Huh? Had he just said-

"Interesting," Bumi cackled. "I have half a mind to lose just so I can see what happens next." Bumi's green eyes cleared and the man's presence seemed to grow and grow, until there wasn't any mad king left, only the most powerful earthbender in the entire world. "Show me what you've got kid."

Calving glaciers! By the moon! She… What? After so long, she could finally stop being… But what would Sokka say? What about Gran-Gran? Why now? Not now! Katara tugged on her hair loopies. Focus. She inhaled.

Bumi had gotten into a fighting stance, his bare feet spread wide, every striated muscle tensed and ready to explode.

Her breath ignited her fire.

Bumi raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you gonna attack me?"

Katara held her breath. Firebenders always attacked first. All offense no defense. It was a good strategy, and had helped the Fire Nation conquer most of the Earth Kingdom. Bumi also had about a hundred years of experience fighting against it.

"Neener, neener, neener?" Bumi mooned her. "C'mon!"

Katara waited.

"Fine," Bumi sighed. "You're no fun."

He threw a boulder at her.

Katara exhaled, dodged and countered with a fireball.

Bumi flipped his wrist to raise a wall.

Katara's flame whipped off the wall and returned to her. She took a breath, sidestepped a rock, and grew her flame whip. Just a little.

The dirt beneath her feet started to liquify into mud. She slammed her hands down, and forced her fire to pool outwards, covering the ground like spilt water, rocketing towards the enemy.

Bumi pirouetted into a rock cocoon blocking the blast. Katara pulled herself out of the ground, but melon-sized rocks stuck to her feet, slowing her down. She tried to shake 'em off, but they clung to her like dried cement.

Bumi was still enveloped in his cocoon. Still hiding. Just like a typical earthbender, all defense, no offense. Content to hide behind walls and wait, and wait, and wait before being dragged out and beaten like an unruly child. This was the best the Earth Kingdom had to offer? What a disappointment.

Katara took a deep breath, and pooled some fire around the tyrant king.

Breathe in.

A bead of sweat tickled her eye.

Breathe out.

She wiped it off, nudging her hair loopy in the process.

Breathe in.

Something was off. But what?

Breathe out.

Bumi was the mad king. Some called him a genius.

Breathe in.

She wasn't quite sure, but then again Sokka acted like a drunk babba-coon most of the time as well.

Breathe out.

For some reason, her mind wanted to connect Bumi and Sokka.

Breathe in.

Why? Similar personalities?

Breathe out.

No. Similar looks?

Breathe in.

No. Something simpler.

Breathe out.

That she'd fought them both? Similar fighting styles? Yes!

Breathe in.

That was it. That was it! She knew how to win.

Breathe out.

An image of an igloo popped into her head. The first time she'd ever firebended she'd been in a snowball fight with her brother. He always prepared crazy snow structures before their battles, and even though she always lost because of them, she still felt proud that he'd managed to build them. After she'd melted a few of his igloos she had thought he'd stop making of them. Try something else, maybe quit and play a new game. He didn't. He'd started making tunnels under the ice. A brilliant trap for her younger self and a good lesson.

The Mad King Bumi had dug himself underground, waiting for the perfect time to strike, knowing that a typical firebender would wear themselves out on his empty mud cocoon.

She smirked, and covered herself in a thin membrane of fire. She was one step ahead of Bumi. This fight was already decided.

* * *

Something grasped her ankle, burned, and let go. Katara smirked. Game over! She lit herself on fire, reached down, grabbed Bumi's hand, and plucked him from the ground.

"Gah!" Bumi screamed, his right arm already laced with red and black burns.

Katara smirked, and struck Bumi in the face with a palm full of fire. She expected him to fall back, retreat, like a typical earthbender. Rise some earth pillars to protect himself, and try to regroup. Get in a more advantageous position for his bending, where he had enough space and room to make full use of earthbending's unparalleled power. She expected him to play to the strengths of his bending. It's what she would have done.

Instead Bumi slugged her in the stomach. Hard.

She let out a gasp. Her breath fled from her chest.

Bumi kicked her in the face. She heard a bone snap and her neck whipped backwards. This wasn't going… Good. She tried to retreat, but her legs felt like jelly, and she barely managed to stagger away. Bumi hopped towards her, and smashed her with his left hand. Katara's head bounced against the rocks, and Bumi bashed his toes into her ribs.

Katara lay on the ground unable to move. Barely able to breathe. Pain laced through her chest every time she took a breath. She wasn't sure if she had a collapsed lung or broken ribs. Either way, she wouldn't be able to firebend in the near future.

But maybe, maybe she could pull this out somehow. Use something she'd missed, some detail she'd overlooked to turn the tide..

Open your eyes Katara.

No. There was nothing. Without her firebending she was nothing.

"You've won," Katara rasped. "Kill me."

Please. Like this. Here and now. She'd realized a long time ago that she'd either die on a battlefield or in a prison cell. She wanted to die a bender's death, out on the battlefield.

Bumi looked down on her. His right hand covered the side of his face. Katara had melted half of it off. The knuckles on both his hands were badly blistered. A low whine escaped him, the only evidence of pain from his stony expression. She smiled. She'd done a real number on him. She'd given him a heckuva fight. More than anyone had expected.

Oh well, her life had always been pointless. She'd been a mistake since the moment she was born. A curse to the tribe, and then the entire world. That's what everyone had always thought, since the moment she'd opened her golden eyes.

"I'm sorry Sokka," she whispered.

A slight chatter grew louder, until it was impossible to ignore. Booing. And it wasn't from the Earth Kingdom.

Jeers and taunts came from the Fire Nation, as they started to throw debris onto the battlefield. A canteen hit her in the head.

She stared at the sky. It was blue, just like when she'd decided to leave the South Pole. She'd been full of hope back then. And anger. She'd known she'd become a hero, the best firebender in the world, and she'd return a big shot. She'd make everyone in the tribe jealous.

She'd look down her nose at Qeorvik, who'd been the most popular girl in the tribe, and had always treated Katara like she was invisible. She'd humiliate Hahn, the boy who'd always bullied her, and told her she didn't belong. And then, in the end, she'd find the Last Waterbender and she'd… She'd… It didn't matter. None of it mattered. It hadn't for a long time.

She felt hollow. Of course she always did, when she wasn't fighting.

The earth swallowed her up, and slowly started to squeeze. Tighter and tighter, until she couldn't move. This fight, long decided, was finally reaching its inevitable conclusion.

Katara closed her eyes, thought about Sokka, and waited for the end.

* * *

Bumi was still playing with that stupid wooden chip! The boos from the Fire Nation had only gotten louder, the blood from her broken nose was getting her face all sticky, and she was hearing that annoying silent ringing sound that came from getting her head smacked around.

"Would you hurry it up!" Katara snapped. "Don't you have a city to run or something?"

Bumi just turned the chip over in his long fingers. It was worn and round and had a picture of a flower on it. A white lotus. Great, the madman was thinking about board games as he decided whether to kill her or not. Well it didn't matter what he said, what he thought of her, she'd heard it all before. Nothing could hurt her. Nothing could change her.

"You're second rate," Bumi finally said. "You're no Ozai. You're no Azula."

"What?" Katara asked.

Bumi gave her a big grin. He was missing half his teeth. "You're mediocre."

"I nearly won," Katara growled. "Give me another few years of training and the fight would've gone differently."

"No," Bumi said. "You found your opening." Bumi's cackle cut through her soul. "And you still lost. We could fight a hundred times and you'd lose every single time."

"What?" Katara blustered. "No! You're the- I would not!"

Bumi cackled. He guffawed. He let her go.

"Let me know when you can bend lightning little loser," He taunted as he walked away. "Until then, your bending will always be second rate."

Katara sat and seethed. She'd be better. She'd given up everything for her bending. Her home. Her honor. Her morals. Even her family. And the strongest bender she'd ever met had- had…

Do what you always do. Use the curses that have been given to you Katara. They are all that matter.

She'd show him! She'd learn to bend lightning! And then she'd fight him again, and… And… And what?

Change.

"Hey Bumi," Katara called. "Good fight! Let's do it again sometime!"

Bumi looked back, and tilted his head like a chameleon-owl. He blinked. Then turned and limped away. He was just another bender. Just another enemy.

Katara pointed at him and imagined a lighting bolt going through his heart. "Bang," she said, and swaggered back to the jeers of the Fire Nation.

The next time she met Bumi she'd kill him.

* * *

Katara normally loved the command tent. It was where General Ukano told her who she'd be fighting next. But for the first time, seeing him scrunched in his chair behind his mahogany desk made her feel nervous. Maybe it was because she'd lost her last fight, maybe it was because he was avoiding her gaze, but almost certainly it was because there were no lit candles anywhere. Everybody knew not to keep flames around an angry firebender.

"You're being transferred," Ukano said blunty. "To the navy."

Katara sniffed. It was obvious what was happening. Ukano was willing to overlook her heritage, put up with her attitude, and smooth over all the fights she'd gotten into so long as she kept winning. So long as she was an elite firebender. But she'd lost. She'd been exposed as mediocre. Put her against a truly powerful bender like Bumi and she didn't stand a chance. She was being thrown away. "Give me some time General. I've still got room to grow. Even Bumi said so. He said that if I could've bent lightning that I would've-"

"I'm sorry Katara," Ukano sighed. He slid a note towards her.

She squinted at it. It had some brush marks on it or something. They looked professional. A few wax seals on a couple of the ends. Uh-oh. "Right…" Katara said. "Just give me a couple of months and I'll be able to bend again. I'll get better General, I promise. Just give me another shot. I won't let you down, sir!"

"I always forget," Ukano muttered. "These are my direct orders from Princess Azula. If you want to protest your transfer you're going to have to take it up with her."

Ukano pursed his lips. "I wouldn't recommend it."

"Let me talk to her," Katara said urgently. "I can do this. I'm still young. I'm growing more powerful everyday. Does she know how the fight went? How it really went. I'm sure Kuzon told her I got beat bad, that dumb donkey-horse. He's always spreading rumors about me-"

"Katara," Ukano said gently.

"Tell her Kuzon lied. Tell her that I hurt Bumi bad," Katara said. "Tell her that half his face was burnt off. Tell her he was walking with a limp. Tell her he'll probably be dead any day now while I was barely left with a scratch!" Katara winced as she caught her breath. Her ribs were still cracked, and her breath whistled when she exhaled through her broken nose. Katara would lie if she had to.

"Tell her I was sick that day, I had uh… Pentapox! Yeah, that's it! Tell her that if I wasn't sick with Pentapox I would've won!"

"You don't get it." Ukano shook his head. "Kuzon was impressed by you. We all were. I knew I had to send an honest report to Azula. Too many witnesses. You fought King Bumi evenly. He was badly hurt. Conquering Omashu was a very real possibility."

"If you were so impressed then why were you all booing me?" Katara asked rhetorically. "Kuzon must have her ear or something. He's slandering me General, I'm sure of it!"

"We were booing Bumi," Ukano said simply. "And you've got this all wrong Katara. You don't understand royalty at all."

"I understand just fine," Katara said. "I'm gonna kill Kuzon!"

"Why do you think I made General?" Said Ukano. "I'm not a bender. I'm not bold. I'm not some political genius. I'm average. And that's entirely the point. Princess Azula isn't transferring you because you lost to Bumi, Katara. She's transferring you because you almost beat him. She sees you as a threat. It's important that you act meek and obedient right now, or else she will destroy you."

"Oh." Katara's feet were wrapped in red Fire Nation sandals. They were light, easy to put on, and really helped on long marches. She only wore them because of the Princess. Only Azula had been willing to give her a chance. The Princess had overruled all the protests from the Fire Nation, acted as Katara's champion, and allowed her to join the army. She'd always been grateful. She still was. But…

"No," Katara said. She wasn't a traitor. She would never fight the Water Tribe. She'd promised her brother. That still meant everything to her. "I won't do it."

"I knew you'd say that," Ukano chuckled to himself. He got out of his chair, turned his back to Katara, and started speaking to the wall. "Officially, you will be recovering from your injuries for the next few weeks. Then it will come as a surprise to all of us here, that you have escaped. But it will be no matter, for we will catch you. Unfortunately, you will evade our most skilled hunters, only to appear months later with Prince Zuko. Helping him on his hunt for the Avatar. Getting lightning bending training from Commander Iroh. Acting as a member of the Fire Nation Navy. As per Azula's orders."

Ukano's chest started to rumble. He roared and whooped, astounded by his own brilliance.

"Yes, very good sir," Katara applauded politely. She appreciated his effort. In fact she was touched, but there were a few holes in this miracle plan of his. "But I still have broken ribs. I can't bend. I don't know where the Prince is. I won't be able to evade your hunters."

"All true, but I've accounted for that. Please allow me to introduce you to someone." Ukano's smile deepened. "My daughter."

"I'm his daughter," said a bored voice. A tall girl emerged from the tent's shadow and regarded Katara with a passive stare. Had she been here this entire time? Just waiting to reveal herself? Katara couldn't imagine the dedication to flamboyance that such an act would require.

"Go on Mai, introduce yourself." The General prompted.

"I'm bored," Mai complained. "I played along with your little reveal father. Can we go now?"

"Wait," Katara said, and ran around the table. Ukano gave a yelp when Katara wrapped him in a hug. He was a skinny man, and the silk on his red shirt felt smooth against Katara's arms. The contact sent a sharp stabbing pain through Katara's broken ribs but she didn't care. She'd never said goodbye to Sokka when she'd left. She wouldn't make the same mistake again.

"Thanks for being so nice to me General," Katara said. "You took a chance on me when nobody else would. I hope I've made you proud."

"It wasn't much of a risk." Ukano chuckled nervously. "Anyone could see you were a good Firebender. All I did was use your skills to help my army. I should be thanking you. You've made my career."

"I was only allowed to train with the firebenders because of Azula's orders. They didn't trust me." Katara shook her head. "I only became what I am now because you forced them to use me in battles. Otherwise I'd have never gotten any good at fighting."

"Well," Ukano sighed. "If you think you owe me anything just follow my wishes on this: find Zuko, help him on his quest, and just try… Try to find some happiness in your life Katara. That's all I want for you. And Katara, know this, I am proud of-"

"Can you two hurry it up?" Mai drawled. "I've been waiting for hours."

"Right," Katara nodded towards the tall girl. "General, I… I- The offer..."

"The offer?"

"The adoption," Katara said. "These past few years you've always been there for me. You've always been on my side, and let me be who I want to be. For a long time now, I've seen you as the father I never had."

A giggle escaped from Mai. Her face was still blank except for a slight curl on the ends of her lips. A cruel, bitter, mocking smirk from a barb that went unsaid.

Katara ignored her and gave Ukano one last hug.

"But for me, bending is all that matters," Katara whispered. "I don't deserve a family."

Then, as she always did with those she loved, she left him.

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Next time, in The First Firebender... "I'll talk to the guards," Tyro said. "In the meantime, make sure the elderly are taken care of. The rest of us will simply have to hope for warmer weather."

"It's Autumn," Sokka said. "You know how seasons work right?"

"What would you have me do?" Tyro asked. "If you've got a better plan I'd love to hear it."

"I've got several actually," Sokka said enthusiastically.


	5. Chapter 4 - Fighting Fate

Author's Note: I've condensed the old chapters 3-6 into this one single super chapter.

* * *

"What in the moon is that?" Sokka complained. They'd been to Kyoshi Island and learned that Katara had been following the Fire Nation Army from the beautiful Suki. So they were off to Omashu, where Aang could meet his old friend King Bumi, and Sokka could see if Katara had been through there. The sun had set several hours ago, and some stupid babba-coon was making a ruckus. It almost sounded like glaciers calving, but in short steady bursts.

All he wanted was some sleep, but as always the universe conspired against him.

"I don't know," Aang chirped, flying out of his sleeping bag. "But I'd love to find out!"

Another loud thump reverberated through the campsite. Appa bellowed in disgust.

"I hear ya Appa," Sokka said, patting the big fellow. "Let's go find out…"

Aang was already gone. Sokka sighed, and grabbed his club. He hesitated, and followed the explosive concussions into the dark forest. It wasn't so bad in there, sure he kept scratching against branches, sure bugs brushed against his ankles, but he hadn't run into a horde of angry firebenders, so the universe couldn't be that mad at him.

Sokka promptly fell into a ravine. He screamed. He cried. He realized he'd hit the ground two minutes ago. Sokka got up, brushed himself off, and hoped nobody had seen.

"Are you okay?" Asked a tall, tan teenager. "You really shouldn't be walking around here at night. It isn't safe."

"I had things under control," Sokka said. He did. Sure he'd stumbled, but navigating the woods was nowhere near as dangerous as canoeing through the Arctic currents. As if he, the great Sokka, would ever meet his end in some backwards little nowhere like this. "I know what I'm doing!"

"And what are you doing?" The tall teenager asked, hitting him lightly in the chest. "We've got a curfew you know? If you get caught your whole family will be in trouble! Go home!"

Something wasn't right here. Sokka took three even breaths and collected himself. He analyzed the situation. Rationally. Everything clicked into place.

"We're in Fire Nation territory?" Sokka narrowed his eyes. "But you're not Fire Nation are you?"

The boy took a step back.

"Why are you out?" Sokka asked. "It's dangerous for you too."

The boy shrank in on himself.

"You were earthbending weren't you? That's what those noises were."

"Please don't tell," the boy's voice broke. "They'll take me away. Just like father."

Katara…

"I'll keep it a secret," Sokka said, repeating the words from long ago. He stood up straight, and looked into the boy's green eyes. "But only if you promise to stop bending. I know you think it's _cool_. I know you think it's _fun_. I know you think it makes you _special_. But if you keeping doing this they _will_ catch you. And then they _will_ kill you. You have to stop. Promise that you'll stop."

"I… I…" The boy wrapped himself in his arms.

"What's your name?" Sokka asked, trapping the boy with his gaze.

"Haru."

"Do you have a gran-gran Haru?"

"Yeah…"

"If you keep bending they'll kill her too."

"But I-"

"No buts. Haru, you're going to get everyone you love killed," Sokka said. "For some silly little _magic_."

"Look at me Haru," Sokka barked, finding the boy's terrified green eyes once again. "You can do this. I know it's hard, but you can give up bending. You will. You have too. Now promise."

Haru stiffened, and his breathing became harsh and jagged. He turned, stumbled, and ran. He even slid a few rocks into the ravine so Sokka couldn't follow him. Foolish.

Why would Sokka bother? There was no saving stupid. If the boy wanted to be a fool, and get his entire family killed, let him. Sokka knew what the universe wanted him to do. It wanted him to go and save that idiot of an earthbender. But Sokka had an Avatar to get trained and a sister to find. He was busy.

"Sokka," Aang floated down. "I saw everything."

"Good," Sokka said. "So you know we're in Fire Nation territory. It isn't safe. We need to leave." He bumped into Aang.

"What you did was wrong." The airbender wouldn't budge. "Do you understand that?"

"Me?" Sokka snorted. "I was just trying to save the child."

"By making him give up his bending?" Aang asked, like it was some ridiculous request.

"Yeah." Sokka rolled his eyes. Benders always acted like spoiled, selfish children. It was ridiculous. "So?"

"Bending is part of his spirit. He can't stop without giving up who he is."

Benders always acted like they were better than everyone. As if their bending was some sacred right that couldn't possibly be sacrificed. In the Southern Water Tribe, food was scarce, and they were forced to send those who couldn't contribute into the tundra to die. Had Meriwa complained, even once? No, she'd accepted her fate for the good of the tribe.

"My father couldn't give up his bending either," Sokka said bitterly. "So the Fire Nation attacked. The Southern Water Tribe was burnt to the ground because one grown ass man couldn't kick a hobby."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Aang said. "But you must forgive your father. He didn't have a choice. A bender can't stop bending."

"I could," Sokka said. "If I had your silly magic, I'd keep it to myself!"

Aang was silent.

"That's what I like about you Aang." Sokka smirked. "You're the Avatar. But you keep it to yourself."

Aang followed Sokka back to the campsite.

"We're going after Haru," Aang said.

"Sure," Sokka said sarcastically. "Let's get to know the idiot before he gets himself killed. Then when he gets caught, the Fire Nation can capture you as well. We'll be saving them a lot of trouble."

"You're right," Aang said, hopping onto Appa. "This is probably stupid. But this entire war is my fault. I can't... Run from this. I have to help. It's my duty. As the… As the..."

And suddenly Aang looked unsure. Scared. He clenched onto Appa like he was afraid the big fur ball was going to leave him too. "You'll come; right Sokka?"

Sokka analyzed the situation.

"Sokka?" Aang pleaded, looking like a kicked puppy-seal.

Sokka sighed and threw his bag onto Appa's saddle. He climbed next to Aang and frowned.

"Just for the record," Sokka said sourly. "I still don't care about Haru. I'm just doing this because we're friends."

Aang's shoulders relaxed. "Thanks Sokka." He wiped his eyes.

* * *

"They've taken him, they've taken my boy," a mother weeped. "Haru!"

Aang sighed. He'd failed Haru just like he'd failed Gyatso. Just like he'd failed all the airbenders. Just like he'd failed the whole frickin' world. Because he'd run away. Because he hadn't been there when the world needed the Avatar. Sokka was right, he needed to get trained right away. He needed to put a stop to this war as quickly as possible. They needed to get to Omashu. No more distractions.

"We'll get your son back," Sokka said. "We promise."

Or they could do that instead. Aang grinned.

* * *

"Wow," Sokka jumped off the boat and onto the rig. He slid a finger on the steel floor. It was as smooth and cool as ice, but it didn't melt to the touch. The prison was a wonder. As expected of the Fire Nation.

A pair of firebenders escorted the rest of the earthbenders onto the ship. They were shoved into a line, and an important looking man with a goatee, measured them one by one.

"Earthbenders! It is my pleasure to welcome you aboard my modest shipyard. I am your warden. I prefer to think of you not as prisoners, but as honored guests," the Warden droned through a clearly rehearsed speech. Sokka kept his mouth shut, his expression passive, and his hands at his sides. He didn't want to stand out. So he didn't speak up when the Warden sent a man to solitary for coughing. All these spoiled benders were getting off easy as far as Sokka was concerned. They'd known the consequences of bending but they'd done it anyways. They deserved whatever they got.

The Warden's voice suddenly rose, and he got in Sokka's face. "...And we'll get along famously. You will notice, earthbenders, that this rig is made entirely of metal. You are miles away from any rock or earth. So, if you have any illusions about employing that brutish savagery that passes for bending among you people… Forget them. It is impossible. Good day." The Warden glared at them for a moment, and marched away.

What a nice man. The firebenders jostled the prisoners to move. Two heavy metal gates slammed behind them, separating them from the front of the rig. A flat metal expanse stood in front of him, with a few metal cabins making up shelter for the little prison tribe. On the edges of their living area was an ocean and a giant metal wall, with Fire Nation guards on watch.

To escape they'd need to find a way around those walls, and steal the ships contained in the front of the rig. Maybe he could find some materials for a makeshift boat in one of the cabins? Then they could lower some prisoners onto the raft, and row to the front of the rig, climb up- Sokka remembered that the sides of the rig were vertical. Nope, couldn't climb solid steel. Too slippery.

"You," Haru said, walking up to him. "Why are you here?"

"Same as the rest of you rock heads," Sokka chirped. "I was earthbending and somehow got caught. Who could've possibly seen that coming?"

A pair of earthbenders rose, and narrowed their eyes at Sokka.

Haru didn't rise to the bait. "Why are you here?"

"You deserve this." Sokka sighed. "But your mother doesn't. She didn't do anything wrong, but she still lost a son."

"So you're here to rescue me," Haru chuckled. He looked Sokka up and down, and grabbed his furs. "Wait a second! You're Water Tribe! You're a waterben-"

"Stop," Sokka snarled, insulted. "Don't you ever call me a waterbender!"

"I was trying to give you a compliment," Haru said, taking a step back. He sighed. "Maybe if you were a bender you'd understand."

"Because a nonbender couldn't possibly know what it's like." Sokka rolled his eyes. "Have you learned nothing from all this? Bending got you imprisoned, and it sure as moon ain't gonna get you out. Bending is a stupid artifact of past civilizations. If we want to get out it's gonna take a solid plan. The first thing we need to do is gather informa-"

"If you're not a waterbender then what can you do?" Haru asked wistfully. "We're doomed… But… Thanks Watertribe."

He patted Sokka condescendingly on the shoulder. "You've got guts, I'll give you that."

"Hmm," Sokka said, brushing Haru off.

"C'mon, there's someone I'd like you to meet," Haru said.

And so Sokka met Haru's father, Tyro. With a long combed beard and seel-soft skin, the man was as pampered as they came. They'd been captured in a mining town, but Sokka knew that none of these men had seen a day's work in their lives. They were to good for that, being earthbenders and all.

"Tyro," an earthbender said. "The prisoners are complaining there aren't enough blankets to go around."

"I'll talk to the guards," Tyro said. "In the meantime, make sure the elderly are taken care of. The rest of us will simply have to hope for warmer weather."

"It's Autumn," Sokka said. "You know how seasons work right?"

"What would you have me do?" Tyro asked. "If you've got a better plan I'd love to hear it."

"I've got several actually," Sokka said enthusiastically. "If you're cold, you could all huddle together like penguin-otters during mating season. You won't lose heat as quickly if you're all bunched together."

"That's actually not a bad-"

"Of course, humans aren't penguin-otters, and that much skin contact causes plague. So I'd recommend cutting your losses and sending those who won't make it out to sea."

Tyro glared. Had Sokka said something wrong?

"I refuse to let my people die!" Tyro said haughtily.

"Unless it means giving up earthbending of course," Sokka sneered. "Then… Well then it's just completely impossible right?"

The way Tyro glared at him reminded him of the time he'd fed week old fish to a group of rowdy penguin-otters that lived near their tribe. The Tribe had been furious with him for wasting their food. When he'd been proven right, and the penguin-otters had gotten sick, the tribe elders had only gotten angrier. Unless you were old, wisdom was always seen as clever insubordination.

"You know nothing of the Fire Nation," Tyro whispered. "You think they would've let us go if we surrendered? They would've thought us cowards! They'd have slaughtered our children and raped our women. We had to fight, even if we knew we would lose. As long as we battled hard, we knew we wouldn't be treated as the Air Nomads were. It was the only way to protect what we loved."

"But that doesn't make sense," Sokka said. "Why would they punish those who surrendered peacefully? That's just asking for rebellion."

"This war is a test for them. For us. The strong survive. The weak die. I've had enough of it. I don't care about proving myself anymore, I just want… I'm tired of seeing my friends die." Tyro tilted his head down, at his reflection on the steel floor. "I'm sure you're smart kid, probably smarter than me, but I've got no interest in following whatever clever escape plan you've got. It was brave of you to get in here, but stupid. Now you're in the same boat as us. Keep your head down, stay quiet, and maybe you'll see your mother's face again."

Sokka couldn't even remember his mother's face. He remembered the fractal patterns of the black snow, the rivets of the beautiful silver ships, and the exact formations of the Fire Nation soldiers on the day of the raid, but he couldn't remember what his own mother looked like. With some study, he was sure he could understand the way the rig worked, the guard patterns of the prison, and come up with a good plan to escape. But he didn't know what it was like to lose someone important to him, what it was like to be a soldier, what it was like to be a bender. He didn't understand these men. They wouldn't follow him no matter what plan he came up with. It was useless.

* * *

"Are you sure there's nothing we can do?" Aang asked again.

"Yeah," Sokka snapped. "They've given up. They don't care about their freedom, so why should we?"

Aang had been sure that Sokka was like him. That underneath the bitterness was a caring spirit. "Do you really believe that?"

"I do," Sokka sighed. "Tyro laid it all out for me, and it made sense. It's what I would do if I were them. Accept my fate, and do whatever it takes to keep my family safe. It's just, I don't know, I expected them to all be like Haru. Young and stupid. Instead they're doing the rational thing, same as me. I guess I'm just dissa…" Sokka shook his head and climbed off the side of the ship and onto Appa's saddle. "C'mon Aang; let's go. There are guards everywhere."

"Haru reminded you of your sister didn't he?" Aang asked. "That's why you wanted to save him."

"No! What's that supposed to-" Sokka cut himself off and sighed. "You're right. The truth is that my sister was a bender. I always taught her to keep it to herself, but I think that she… She probably left so she could get herself trained."

Sokka stared out at the ripples in the ocean. "You're going to tell me that that's part of being a bender. You don't have a choice, you have to bend, and you have to get stronger. You're going to tell me that it wasn't Bato's fault she left, it was mine. I drove her away."

The raw emotion in Sokka's voice, the pure vulnerability, not even Monk Gyatso had ever talked with him this way. They really were friends. And somehow, Aang knew what he had to say.

"No," Aang said, and shivered in the night's howling wind. "Even a hundred years ago, we knew what the Fire Nation was planning. The Air Nomads told me that they'd need me, they begged me to help them, but when I learned I was the Avatar I ran. They would've taken me away from my father, from my family, and I just got... If I'd have just faced my destiny, this war would've never happened, and Monk Gyatso would still be alive."

Sokka climbed off Appa back onto the rig, and leveled Aang with a cold blue stare. Aang took a step backwards. Now that he thought about it, if not for the war, Sokka would still have his parents. His sister wouldn't have run away. All the problems with Sokka's life could be traced back to Aang's stupid decision.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. He was a fool and a coward. However Sokka judged him; he deserved it.

"I still say we leave. I do what's logical," Sokka said cooly. "Unlike you, Aang, I'm reasonable. The question is, are you really okay with us abandoning these people?"

He hadn't been before… But now… He really did need to get trained. He understood Sokka's argument and even agreed with it. What was the freedom of a few benders compared to an Avatar's life? There was no logical justification to attempt this mission. They didn't even have a plan. But everything in Aang's spirit disagreed.

"No," Aang said. "We're going to free these benders. I can't just ignore things like this."

Sokka broke into a big silly grin. "You got a plan Avatar?"

Dark clouds billowed from the smokestacks. "I just might."

* * *

The earthbenders stared blankly at the ember coals. Masked firebenders ran onto the flat steel stern of the rig, going right past Aang. In their defense, Aang had attached himself halfway up the wall separating the front and back of the ship. He was easy to miss.

"There's thirty-three of you," Sokka yelled to the stony-eyed prisoners. "And only six guards. You can do this!"

"I'm sorry." Tyro shook his head. "But you should've listened when I told you to forget about escaping. Now they'll kill you."

"Well spoken Earthbender. But you shouldn't try to speak logically with a savage." The Warden smirked, and gave Tyro a mocking slow clap. He ruffled Tyro's hair like he was a pet. "The Fire Nation has great respect for the Earth Kingdom. For a thousand years you were the most powerful nation in the world, while the Fire Nation was just a small island country. Not now. It is our time now. But you have earned your place in the world. That is why we can work together, my dear Tyro. I'll see to it that your elderly get their blankets. I'm not some _barbarian_ who proposes that you throw them overboard."

"Thank you sir," Tyro whispered, avoiding Haru's glare.

"But you savages from the poles?" The Warden circled Sokka slowly. "We've never even viewed you as human. You are the most primitive people; you live in igloos, sail in canoes, and possess the weakest form of bending in the world. And yet you think that you, a stupid savage, can outwit me, an educated Firebender?"

"I can't forgive this." The Warden's hands ignited. "I'm afraid it's time for you to die."

Where was it? Where'd he put his blasting powder? He always kept it… His fingers curled around a leather bag. Stay calm, stay calm, STAY CALM! Sokka trembled, he unlaced it, and poured some black powder into his palm. The Warden's footsteps somehow echoed over the howls of the wind. Okay, ready aim- but what about the wind, and there was a little rain, maybe he'd need a little- did blasting powder even work when it got wet- yes- he needed to stop thinking, he didn't have time for this. Just cock his arm back and-

The Warden grabbed his collar. Sokka screamed and threw the powder at his face. The Warden hacked and coughed and let him go. But he hadn't burst into flame because the blasting powder hadn't touched either of the Warden's ignited fists.

He'd missed- how could he miss? Sokka reached to his back and grabbed his club. It felt heavier than ever. How did he fight with this thing again? Maybe it would be better to go hand-to-hand? So he'd have more speed? No, he'd be at a disadvantage in a drawn out fight. His best bet was to go for a lucky shot… And the Warden had recovered while he'd been thinking about his next move. Sokka was panicking. Yet even with the realization, he couldn't regain his composure.

"I don't need these." The Warden chuckled, and dismissed his flames.

Sokka tried his best, but within a few flurries he was on the ground, and the Warden towered over him.

"Enough!" Haru bellowed.

The Warden regarded the young man blankly.

"Call him weak, call him stupid, but at least Watertribe is trying!" Haru said, and pointed a fist at Tyro's chest. "The only reason I cared about bending was because it made me feel closer to you! It was the only thing I knew about you. That you were an earthbender. But now I know the truth. You are a coward."

A single piece of coal levitated to the sky, wobbling faintly like a feather. Sokka had only convinced one measly half-trained bender to join him but... Maybe the others would follow?

Tyro buried his fist in Haru's stomach and the stone fell harmlessly, and clinked against the steel ground. The faint light of the lone ember slowly faded into the night.

The Warden cackled.

"I'm sorry son," Tyro said, choking down a sob. "You're young. You haven't seen the war as I have. We've been losing this war for a hundred-" Tyro sucked in a breath. "Straight years, what makes you think we'll start winning now? It's better to give up."

"Hate me if you must, but I know I've done the right thing." Tears dripped off Tyro's cheek, wind blowing the droplets sideways. "There is no hope."

Sokka closed his eyes. No amount of logic and planning was going to win this war. Science could never provide what these people needed. All his childhood dreams about a world without bending… The war would not be ended by nonbenders. What the world needed most, what the world had needed for a hundred years, was the Avatar.

* * *

The Warden's fists ignited once more, as he stood over Sokka.

Aang knew he had to do something, but found himself frozen. Time slowed down and all conscious thought gave way to lightning fast instinct. Aang could see the orange flicker of the Warden's fists, feel the hammering of his heart, hear the ocean's waves slamming against the ship. And Aang connected with something _more_. _Profound_. _Wonderful_. _Other_. He was consumed by an alien energy, greater than anything he'd experienced before, and felt his spirit start to slip away. Instinctively, he knew what was happening. He was entering the Avatar State.

Sokka's eyes found his, and dragged him back into the material world. The tribesman glared at him blankly, without words telling Aang if he was going to be the Avatar, he would have to consciously choose the destiny for himself.

Sokka was different from the Air Nomads. Different from Monk Gyatso even. He would never tell Aang that the world needed the Avatar, that Aang needed to be the Avatar, or that Aang needed to save the world. He insisted that the world could save itself. That Aang could just be a kid. Because Sokka cared about Aang, not the Avatar. Even now, when it meant his death.

And finally, after a hundred years, what Aang wanted to do and what he had to do became one. Aang welcomed his destiny, and sprang from his hiding place, blowing the Warden overboard with a strong gust of wind.

"I am the Avatar," Aang announced to the earthbenders. "And I've returned to save you, but I'm going to need your help. If you have the courage to fight for a little longer, when the time comes I will face the Firelord, defeat him, and bring balance to the world!"

There. He'd done it. After a hundred years, he'd finally stopped running.

"You're the Avatar?" Tyro asked. The earthbenders behind him frowned. Nobody seemed to believe it.

"Check this out," Aang said, grabbing a pair of marbles and airbending them in a circle.

Tyro raised an eyebrow.

Aang gave a nervous smile, and motioned to his marbles.

Tyro's chest started to rumble. "The Avatar." He let out a roar. "The Avatar has returned!" Coal flew into the air, and buried one of the guards in a rock-alanche. The rest of the earthbenders joined their leader, and the rout was on. In only a few moments, the guards had been dumped overboard.

Aang peered over the side of the rig. The firebenders were struggling to stay afloat, desperately holding onto the steel hull of the rig. Large swells from the ocean pulled them this way and that, their torsos being tossed around in the vortex of water. They weren't going to make it much longer.

Aang glanced around, and found a pile of firewood next to a steel cabin. Perfect. He tossed them to the firebenders below, and pointed them to the coast, a few miles away. "Tell the Firelord that the Avatar is coming for him!"

The firebenders gave no indication that they had heard him, but started swimming in the right direction. Aang let out a held breath. Airbenders didn't kill. He may be the Avatar, but before that he was an airbender.

Everybody looked okay. The earthbenders were dancing and hugging each other. Haru and his father were talking with each other quietly, Tyro's hand on Haru's shoulder. Sokka shivered alone, still on the ground, hands wrapped around his knees.

"Are you okay?" Aang asked Sokka.

The tribesman got up, brushed himself off, and gave Aang a great big hug. "Oh Aang, you've saved me!"

* * *

"Avatar Aang! Avatar Aang!" The earthbenders chanted as they rowed back to shore. "Brought his sorry gang, to our small prison, flung out da' Warden."

Aang flew above on Appa, sometimes diving down low to the earthbenders cheers.

Sokka hummed along to the catchy tune, as he traced the fastest route to Omashu. This whole little side show had been fun, and had helped them learn about themselves, but had ultimately gotten Aang no closer to being a fully realized Avatar. They needed to stick to the plan, and not get distracted trying to help every person in need.

"They shouldn't call you sorry," Haru said.

"Nah." Sokka grunted, he held up five fingers. "They need an adjective to keep the rhyme right."

"But couldn't they call you brave or something?" Haru asked. "That stunt you pulled, standing up to the Warden, it showed me what bravery really is."

"That's great and all, but brave has only one syllable," Sokka explained, marking known Fire Nation camps on his map. They'd need to make sure to keep away from those areas. Now that the world knew about the Avatar, they'd need to be much more careful about where they travelled.

"Heroic then?"

"That's got three," Sokka said. His ink smeared as they rocked over a particularly high wave. For the moon… Sokka shook his head, and put away his map. He wished there was some writing tool where you didn't have to wait for it to dry. "Are you even trying?"

Haru smiled gently, but didn't answer.

The old earthbenders chanted, rowed, and bumped chests. It was a rowdier group than Sokka had imagined. Now that he thought about it, even if they'd been miners their calluses would've softened while they were imprisoned. Just like in Kyoshi, he'd judged these people before he got to know them. He'd need to be more perceptive in the future. Or perhaps less? In any case, he needed to see the world for what it was instead of for what he thought it should be.

For example himself. He'd always liked to think that he was a main character, that he would change the world. In reality, his role in the world was to act as support for the new Avatar. Like it or not, Sokka was a side character. He strongly suspected that the universe wanted him to be comic relief, but he refused.

The sun was starting to peak over the horizon. Sokka knew that appearances aside, the world really was round. It was just so big that you couldn't see the curvature. All these past Avatars had gotten the best spiritual training the world had to offer, but had a single one of them known the scientific method? Engineering? Economics? Well Aang would.

"I always dreamed of saving my father," Haru said. "I thought that if I got good enough at earthbending, someday I'd go and save him. One day I'd be unstoppable. I'd destroy the Fire Nation single handedly. It was just a fantasy. I never planned on getting caught or ever really fighting back. Earthbending was thoughtless and dangerous and stupid. I always knew that."

Sokka hesitated. He thought long and hard before speaking."It's tough losing family. I understand how you felt."

Haru sat down next to Sokka. "It wasn't that bad under Fire Nation rule. When I was with my mom, or when I was working, I barely even noticed it. I mean, I was just a miner, same as I would be if I were under Earth Kingdom rule. It's just… Being under their thumb, it was like having a sliver. It bothered me whenever I stopped to think about it. And I got angrier and angrier. Some of it was at the Fire Nation, but mostly I was angry with myself. I either needed to accept my lot in life, or actually try to change it."

"Being the first earthbender to attack the Warden..." Haru played with his thumbs. "It's the first time I've ever felt proud of myself."

Welp, sitting around talking about feelings was maybe the most unmanly thing in the world. "Can you just ask whatever it is you want to ask?" Sokka squirmed like a worm-maggot on a fish-shark hook.

"I'd like to join you and the Avatar," Haru said, staring at his shoes. "I want to bring balance to the world."

"Yeah," Sokka said. "Sure."

"Really?" Haru asked. "That's it?"

"Don't get too full of yourself," Sokka said. "Aang needs all the help he can get."

Haru let out a breath. "Where are we going next?"

"Omashu."

Haru frowned. "You haven't heard of Bumi have you?"

"We have," Sokka said. "That's why we're going. Maybe he can train you-"

"That's not what I meant." Haru shook his head. "King Bumi isn't going to be training anybody. He got badly hurt in a duel with a firebender. He's dying."

"Iceberg sink it!" Sokka swore. "No more distractions." He signalled Aang down.

"We're going. Now!"

Haru said goodbye to his father, and climbed aboard Appa.

Sokka didn't know all the details, and if that painful heart to heart heart-to-heart with Haru was any indication, he didn't want to, but Aang had a lot of weird _feelings_ with running from the Air Nomads. Bumi was probably the last living person Aang knew from before he'd been trapped in the iceberg. And Sokka sure as moon wasn't gonna let that old fart die before Aang got to meet him one last time.

* * *

Azula heard sobbing in the throne room. It couldn't be? She'd only heard her father cry once before. After his royal kookiness had renounced his right to the throne.

"Father?" She knocked on the door. "Is everything alright?"

"Come in, come in," the Firelord's voice trembled. "I've recieved news! Something wonderful has happened."

Azula entered the throne room hesitantly, and found her father immediately in her face. He handed her a note.

So, the Avatar had returned. She knew her father had spent his childhood searching for the Avatar, so perhaps he was pleased to finally get a chance to catch him? To finally do something Iroh never could, and be acknowledged as the greatest bender in the world. To finally shed the label of The False Savior of the Fire Nation.

"So?" Her father asked, bouncing on his toes. "What do you think? And more importantly, what does _he_ think?"

Azula knew better than to admit that she didn't hear voices in her head. She'd seen where that led. Zuzu's stubborn insistence of sanity had alienated her brother from her father, which in turn had led to Zuko's banishment. "He's happy he can finally settle the score."

Azula pursed her lips and lied. "I'm happy for the challenge. Killing the Avatar is the dream of every bender in the world."

"You're right of course," Ozai's smile faded. "You are your mother's daughter. You may challenge him first."

Perhaps she would look for the Avatar. After she'd found Zuko and killed him of course. A path had opened for her dear brother Zuzu to relinquish his claim to the throne. Unacceptable. He had to be eliminated.

Azula smirked, and twirled a precisely trimmed bang of hair around a perfectly manicured nail. Once she killed Zuko she'd be able to hunt the Avatar at her leisure. What more was a princess to ask for?

"Well." Ozai smoldered. "I've given you what you want! Be happy that _he_ hasn't trapped you in this palace like me. Go."

Azula bowed, and walked out of the throne room. She'd need a captain, a boat, and a crew to start her hunt. And a few firebenders to electrify for entertainment on slow days. Oh, how exciting! She couldn't wait!

Yes, she would find Zuko and kill him. More importantly she would capture Iroh. After father had taken the throne, her uncle had somehow poisoned Ozai, causing his insanity. Azula had searched and searched for a cure, but in all her studies she had never even found a possible poison. Azula licked her lips, it would bring her great pleasure to torture the antidote out of her Uncle Iroh.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for reading! Next time on The First Firebender... "The Phoenix King is a myth," Tyro said loudly, almost desperately. "He's just a symbol of peace."

But the mere mention of the name had caused several of the earthbenders to smile. Doors crept open, and children peeked out at Uncle. So much interest in a man Zuko had never heard of.

"The Phoenix King was real," Uncle said softly, fiddling with a white lotus tile. "I knew him… Personally. He once told me about an adventure that most don't know, but well, I suppose you wouldn't be interested would you? It is his little known first tale, and doesn't even have to do with the Earth Kingdom."


	6. Chapter 5 - The Hunt

**Author's Note:** And Zuko finally enters the fray, and we get more information on the man who replaced the Avatar.

The legendary Phoenix King.

* * *

The old mining village looked tired and worn. It was nothing more than a smattering of houses near a cave in a small forest. The only paths around town were worn walkways, with tiny leaflings growing in the trodden dirt. Wet clothes lines, which connected from one log cabin to another, were the only indication that anybody lived here at all. There was nothing special about the village, it was like a hundred other Earth Kingdom towns, aside from the rumor that the Avatar had first revealed himself here. That made this little backwater the most interesting place in the world.

Zuko walked to the largest house, and hammered on the door. "Open up!"

Nobody answered. He scowled, took a deep breath, and channeled his anger into a clenched fist. His strike was intercepted by Iroh.

"When asking for a favor, it is best to make a good first impression," Uncle advised.

Zuko forced his palms open. One breath, then two. One, then two. The breathing exercise was working. He felt his nerves cool and nodded. It was sound advice. He couldn't let his fury, his desperation control him. It was his emotions that had gotten him banished in the first place. He needed to start thinking these things through. Act with cold logic. Like Azula.

"This is the Fire Nation," Zuko said. "Cooperate and we'll leave your town in peace. Resist and we'll raze it to the ground."

Uncle winced, but Zuko ignored him. He wasn't on vacation. He was in exile. He couldn't win back his honor by playing nice. If the rest of his life was any indication, he'd have to scratch and claw for every ounce of information on the Avatar.

"Its funny," a smooth voice said behind him. "We just rid the village of you vermin, but you've come scurrying back like a horde of rat-roaches."

Zuko turned. He couldn't locate the earthbender who had taunted him. There were too many of them, at least twenty but probably closer to thirty. He and Uncle were surrounded by enemies. They must have been hiding in the tall grass, waiting to spring their Agni-burnt trap.

"Uncle?"

Uncle shook his head. Too many. Damn it! Zuko trembled. He would not let his story end here. He'd find a way to break free. He'd fight every last one of them if he had to. He got into a firebending stance. "You want a fight? Fine!" He launched a fireball at a tall, old man with a well-groomed, white beard.

Uncle tripped him, and Zuko fell face first into the mud.

He heard a boulder whiz over him. Right where his head had been. It crunched into the house behind him, and Zuko heard an angry yelp.

"Tyro!" An old woman barked, hopping out of a gaping wooden hole. "You'd better be paying for this!"

"I had no choice," Tyro said, posture stiff, eyes locked on Uncle. "He attacked first. I was defending us."

"By putting a hole in my house?" The old woman asked.

"Peace, peace," Uncle said soothingly. "I will gladly pay for the house if you let us leave unharmed. It is the least we can do for causing such a stir."

"I don't believe you," Tyro said gruffly, folding his arms.

Uncle pulled out several gold coins, and flipped them playfully through his fingers.

"It isn't about the money," Tyro said. "You're Fire Nation. We can't let you go."

Uncle's smile didn't dim. "Earth Kingdom... Fire Nation... These titles have caused the world harm. They are an illusion. We are one people. I know a man who was loved these parts despite being Fire Nation."

What was Uncle getting at?

"The Phoenix King is a myth," Tyro said loudly, almost desperately. "He's just a symbol of peace."

Ahh. Of course. The legend of the last generation. The Fire Nation's greatest enemy, their greatest threat, who'd only disappeared after his father had become Firelord. The traitor behind almost every Fire Nation defeat of the past thirty years.

The mere mention of the name had caused several of the earthbenders to smile. Doors crept open, and children peeked out at Uncle. So much interest in a traitor. Although he knew these people viewed him as a savior, an inspiration greater than the Avatar.

"The Phoenix King was real," Uncle said softly, fiddling with a white lotus tile. "I knew him… _Personally_. He once told me about an adventure that most don't know, but well, I suppose you wouldn't be interested would you? It is his little known first tale, and doesn't even have to do with the Earth Kingdom."

Children scurried from their hiding places and surrounded Uncle. Their mothers followed close behind, but looked no less eager. Even the rowdy old earthbenders crowded Uncle, full of enthusiasm. "Tell us, tell us, tell us," they chanted together.

Tyro stewed alone.

"Hmm, very well," Uncle said, and sighed. "What I wouldn't give for a hot cup of jasmine tea. A good story should always be told over tea."

As the townspeople scrambled to fulfill Uncle's request, Zuko sidled next to Tyro. "Why does everyone care about the Phoenix King?"

Tyro scowled. "He's an Earth Kingdom folk hero. The stories say that he helped liberate the North Pole, Omashu, Gaoling, Kyoshi Island, and turned back the Fire Nation after The Last Dragon had breached its walls. But more than anything, when we were starving he stole the legendary Chemist's secret, and showed the world how to turn air into rice. But then, when the Fire Nation was defeated, their favored prince replaced by the sickling, the Phoenix King disappeared back into the ashes. A savior sent from heaven in place of the lost Avatar."

"The Fire Lord is no sickling!" Zuko said, although rumors said he was dying, but that's what rumors always said. "He's the strongest-"

"Easy, easy," Tyro chuckled. "I mean no disrespect. I like Firelord Ozai. As much as I can like a Firelord anyways. The point is that he is not Iroh. He's not a monster. It would have been a disaster if that psychopath had taken the throne. Just a decade ago, many of us thought the world was coming to an end, and that was when Iroh was just a prince. He was the champion of destruction, more brutal than Azulon, who had been more brutal than Sozin, who had been more brutal than any conqueror before. But instead Iroh… Lost his son and just disappeared. I hope we never see him, or anyone like him ever again."

Uncle braided a little girl's hair while singing some Earth Kingdom jingle. Zuko frowned. He'd heard the stories, he'd read the textbooks, but Uncle had always seemed… Well… Fun. Nice. When Azula had called him his royal cookyness, Zuko had never really disagreed. Zuko just couldn't believe he had once been the ruthless warlord that everyone described. Still, he wouldn't be calling him Iroh in front of these people.

"Mmm, excellent," Uncle said warmly, sipping a cup of tea. "A wonderful drink from a beautiful lady."

A wrinkled, aging woman blushed. "Oh it was nothing. Just warmed it up, and well…"

"It is excellent." Iroh smiled. "Now let us begin. This story starts before the Phoenix King had accomplished any of his feats. He was just a fledgling firebender-"

The townspeople gasped.

"The Phoenix King isn't a bender," a boy accused. "That's what made him so great! He always wins with cleverness and guile."

"Well _actually_ that's a misconception," an old earthbender said condescendingly. "In a lot of the stories he firebends in a pinch. Nothing major, but it's pretty much _canon_ that he's a firebender. Any _real_ fan knows that."

"He is not," the boy said confidently. "You're full of dirt old man."

"I'm not old," said the old, balding, gray-haired, hunch-backed man who was missing several teeth. "I'm twenty-five."

"Wow!" The boy gasped in wonder. "You look like you're over a hundred."

While the old-looking man turned red, Uncle continued. "He did not dare go to the Earth Kingdom, where the war was at its worst, nor did he dare go to the recently conquered Northern Water Tribe. Instead, he went South."

"Kyoshi Island?" Asked a pretty young woman. "Ooh, do we get to here about the Kyoshi Warriors? They're my favorite!"

"Farther South," Iroh chuckled. "To the icy plains of the Southern Water Tribe."

The crowd deflated, and Zuko did not blame them. The Southern Water Tribe was a backwards little settlement where nothing ever happened. It had avoided the war, except for a couple of raids, because nobody had ever cared to conquer it.

"He thought, as most of you do now, that it was isolated from the war. That they would be more welcoming to a Fire Nationer, and that he could build them up into a powerful civilization. He came in a steel ship, bearing gifts of science and engineering. Advances that most countries would kill for. But the Water Tribe was led by a haughty young chief named Hakoda, a brilliant young waterbender determined to adhere to the traditions that had kept the tribe alive for over a hundred years."

The crowd scoffed, and Zuko understood. The Earth Kingdom's history stretched back thousands of years, even the Fire Nation had been around for a few hundred.

"The young Phoenix was naive and foolish," Iroh said. "He cared not for their traditions. He did not understand conditions endured by the tribe. Days so cold you'd die in minutes without proper clothes, nights colder than that. Farming is impossible, and there are no plants to scavenge from, only animals to hunt. Winds so strong they can send a grown man flying into the sea, nights that last months, and days so bright they can drive a man insane. In a place like that one worries about survival. One sticks with what they know when even one mistake can be fatal. Our young hero argued that waterbending was flexible, pliable, and ever-changing. If they did not embrace change they would surely perish when the Fire Nation inevitably attacked. Their wooden boats were no match for Fire Nation steel."

The Phoenix King's words sounded good, but Zuko knew that the Chief would not be convinced. Smooth talk, logical arguments, neither moved people. Outsiders were always distrusted, especially if they were Fire Nation. If they were Fire Nation they were hated. Always. That Zuko knew through experience.

Force was the only way to get what you wanted in the world. A fire grew within Zuko. He looked at the village. Old men. Women. Children. He would kill them all. He had no choice. It was for his honor and something more. He had to find a way back home, and Uncle's cute little story would not convince anyone. In the end they would have to fight. Just like always.

"Hakoda was insulted. He challenged the young Phoenix to a duel. Now our hero was no dum-dum, and while a bender, he knew he was no match for the chief. But sometimes a man must fight anyways. He accepted the chief's offer, and trained and planned for the battle. Now our hero was clever. He knew that Hakoda was surely a more powerful bender, and that he could not beat him in an even fight. He also knew that the man was rash, arrogant, and proud. So the young Phoenix hatched a devious plot."

Iroh sipped his tea thoughtfully. "He fought hard, he fought fairly, and he lost thoroughly. Victory attained, Hakoda's pride was sated. He allowed the young Phoenix to stay a little while longer. Now the young Phoenix's goal was always to help the Southern Water Tribe in any way possible. He had assumed that the easiest way to do that would be to share the Fire Nation's technology, but that was not the case. Years later he would tell me that his time in the Southern Water Tribe was invaluable. That it helped him overcome a prejudice he had never known he had. It was there he met the most gifted bender he had ever known. Not a firebender, but a waterbender, not a man, but a woman, not a gifted prodigy, but an overlooked veteran. Her name was Hama, and she was the most powerful bender you have never heard of, but she…" Uncle shook his head, and wiped his eyes.

"It is a great shame that a bloodthirsty Fire Nation prince heard this story before I did." Uncle stared sadly into his tea.

"Iroh," the crowd hissed.

Yes. Uncle had gone to the South Pole. So had father for that matter. Neither talked about it much.

"Women were not allowed to fight in the Southern Water Tribe," Uncle said levelly. "Not back then. But Hama, perhaps she was impressed by the young Phoenix's fight with the chief, perhaps she thought that someone from the Fire Nation would be more understanding, or perhaps she just wanted to brag to an extremely handsome young man, whatever her reason, she showed the young Phoenix a form of waterbending she had been practicing in secret. It was a technique that required much power, and even greater control. Only a waterbending master could use such a skill, and even then, only on a full moon. Bloodbending. The art of moving someone's body against their will."

The earthbenders shivered. Zuko snorted. Another of Uncle's fabrications. Whatever. Let Uncle spin his yarn, apparently these bumpkins would go along with anything.

But bloodbending? Really? It was ridiculous. Even for Uncle.

"Many would find the art evil. Hama worried that if she revealed her abilities her own people would despise her and treat her with suspicion. But not the young Phoenix. He was enamored with the new form, and proposed a way to perfect it. Psychic bending. Bending without movement. Together they trained, and Hama quickly mastered the ski-"

"Seems fake," interrupted one earthbender. "Bloodbending? Psychic bending? Yeah right, give me a break."

Finally. At least one of these peasants was not a complete fool.

Uncle casually blew out a fire dragon. It beat its wings twice, soared through the air, burnt to ash, and was reborn as a phoenix, all while Uncle sipped his tea. It was… It was… Not even Azula could… It was impossible… But there it was… Uncle was a firebending genius, Zuko often forgot.

"Just who are you?" One earthbender asked.

Zuko sometimes wondered the same even though everyone, even father, agreed that General Iroh had been the greatest firebender who ever lived.

"A tea enthusiast who enjoys a good game of Pai Sho," Uncle said seriously. "Now let us continue. The young Phoenix was convinced that Hama was a prodigy. Overlooked. Unpolished. But she did not mind, she was quiet and satisfied with her lot in life. But the Phoenix, he knew that it was she who should have been chief. So the young Phoenix began to court a beautiful woman named Kya. He taught her how to read, introduced her to science and Pai Sho, and treated her as an equal. It was strange to the tribe, but Kya appreciated his advances. Hakoda grew jealous, and challenged the Phoenix to a fight. He accepted the fight, and this time promised to show no mercy. Just as the young Phoenix predicted, Hama offered to fight as his champion."

Uncle chuckled. "The chief fought hard, the chief fought fairly, and the chief lost thoroughly. Ashamed to have been defeated by a woman, he retreated into isolation in a snow storm. A death sentence for any tribesmen. Now the villagers loved their chief, even Hama, and did not want him to die. They had good reason. Hakoda was a fair, level-headed young man kind to all who knew him. So the young Phoenix went into the depths of the snowstorm alone but for one brave companion. It should have been impossible, finding a man with snow blowing sideways in ice fields that stretch as far as from here to Ba Sing Se. But the Phoenix King arrived the next morning with Hakoda slung over his shoulder."

Uncle put down his tea. "The chief asked the young Phoenix how he had found him. Our hero said that Hama had pointed him in the right direction. That she could sense where he was by his water. It was then that Hakoda realized that he had not lost to a fragile woman, but to the most brilliant waterbender the world had ever known. Hakoda realized that the Southern Water Tribe did need to change. He thanked the young Phoenix for showing him this. It is for this reason, that all are treated equally in the Southern Water Tribe, regardless of race, gender, or social class. Perhaps that seems small, perhaps that seems insignificant, but do not underestimate equality. The Southern Water Tribe allows immigration from other countries, and has absorbed many citizens from the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation who are willing to put up with the bad conditions to be a part of something special."

"Yeah right." Zuko blushed. It was not his place to speak. Still though… "I bet they are outcasts and criminals."

Uncle's eyes flashed. "I have been there myself. Chief Hakoda was a man I only… _Met him for a short time_ … But it was because of him that I opened my eyes. Chief Bato is a fine leader as well. The Southern Water Tribe is a special place nephew. Do not forget that it is the place that the Phoenix King visited first. It is there, with her, that _His_ influence is strongest. Do not underestimate them!"

Zuko nodded sharply.

Uncle smiled, and Zuko let out a breath. For just a moment, he'd gotten a glimpse of the General, for just a second The Last Dragon had reawakened.

"Um…" said the old-looking man. "What happened to the Phoenix King?"

"He... Perhaps things would have been different if he had stayed… The young Phoenix, he was… A man searching for acceptance, for a home, for a… Family, I think…"

"Now a normal leader, a kind man would have told him to stay. But Hakoda was not ordinary. He was extraordinary. He told the young Phoenix to get out. Grow. So the Phoenix left the Southern Water Tribe forever and became a King… I think it made him happy. That Hakoda rejected his weakness, but believed that he could grow strong. The Phoenix King reciprocated. He left his steel ship, full of books on science, engineering, and economics hoping that perhaps someday a youth would be more interested than the rest of the tribe. Hakoda personally sailed him to Kyoshi Island where, as you know, he helped reform the Kyoshi Warriors." Uncle smiled proudly. "So many feats, one has to wonder if even this new Avatar could accomplish as much."

"Of course he could," a girl said. "He saved my father! He can do anything!"

"Perhaps." Uncle chuckled. "I'd like to meet the Avatar someday and see how he compares with the Phoenix King."

"Well you can, he's in Omashu," the girl said. "You'll see."

Had she just? Had Uncle done that on purpose? Zuko couldn't believe it. He and Uncle shared a look. They'd gotten their information, it was time to go.

"Well," Uncle said. "It's been a pleasure. Now my nephew and I must-"

Tyro put a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "You're not going anywhere."

Zuko shook him off. The two glared at each other, and began to orbit one another. The women and children disappeared back into their houses, and the earthbenders circled around them. Uncle watched with a stern eye. This battle would be between him and Tyro. The other earthbenders would not join in so long as Zuko did not burn down their houses.

"Why do you still fight for the Fire Nation?" Tyro asked. "You've seen the world. You must know that this war is evil."

"You talk to much," Zuko said, and punched a flame at Tyro.

The old man twirled around it. "Why do you fight? These aren't your houses on the line. You're not protecting anything. You've nothing to gain."

The old man just wouldn't shut up. Zuko rushed in, and aimed two straights at his mouth. Tyro dodged with a dancer's grace, and retreated a couple steps.

"Surely you don't like this. Threatening people's homes. You don't strike me as an evil man."

Zuko staggered into a front flip, unleashing a full burst of fury on the yammering old fool. The fire leaked out of his control, cascading into one of those damn wooden houses. The flames broke around the cabin, like a river against a rock.

"Nephew," Uncle barked. "Breathe."

One breath, then two. One, then two. Zuko's temper cooled. Tyro was beating him with words alone. An out of control fire could always be put out by soil. Zuko needed to calm down, and think things through. Act with cold logic. Like Azul-

"Ahh, now I recognize you. That scar over your left eye. You're Prince Zuko," Tyro said plainly. "Burned and abandoned by your own father."

"That's right," Zuko said, focusing on his breath. "All those things you said before don't matter. I have to capture the Avatar to restore my honor."

"I don't believe you," Tyro said.

"That's because you're a peasant," Zuko snapped. "I'm a Prince. Honor means something for me. You will never understand. You haven't lost-"

"You want your father's love. You don't care about honor," Tyro shook his head, relaxed his posture, and turned away. "You're just a boy. Go to Omashu and capture the Avatar, but know this, your father will never love you. If he did he never would have given you that scar and sent you on a fool's errand."

Zuko saw red. He tossed fireball after fireball at Tyro's retreating form. They veered in random directions as Zuko lost control. He tried to make more flames, but his breathing was to erratic. Faintly, as if from a distance, he heard screams and realized that half the village was on fire. A little girl ran back into a burning cabin to retreat some silly trinket, and was hauled out by a weeping mother. Well fuck her. Fuck 'em all. Let them die.

Earthbenders swept dirt over the flames, in those unsightly jagged movements. An inferior style of bending. But then, Zuko hated the precision of firebending as well. He hated everything. Let it all burn.

A big rock slammed into his side. Zuko snarled, and launched a flame at someone. A kid apparently. He missed. The child fell to the ground, and shivered, and cried, and wet himself. But Zuko was no fool. If Azula had taught him anything it was that children could be monsters as well. Zuko was trembling so badly that he could barely aim. So he walked to the child slowly, igniting his fists. He wouldn't miss if he was standing right over him. Zuko smiled. He wanted to kill something. But before he could, something small and hard hit his temple. His vision went dark, and the last thing he could remember were his legs giving out.

* * *

"I thought home was bleak but this place is utterly depressing," Mai complained. "It's burnt, old, and everybody is dirty."

"Well I think your village is um… Smog. Snug is what I meant to say... It's cute." Katara smiled brightly. The tall earthbender's mustache was well groomed, but singed halfway down. The rest of the little mining village was as Mai described. Several fields of cinder made the air smoky and hard to breathe. Little log igloos were patched with stone fillings. "I'm from the Water Tribe, and I'm looking for the Avatar. Y'know, to teach him waterbending."

"You're a waterbender?" The tall man asked skeptically. "Great. Do some waterbending."

"Uhh…" Katara pulled on her loopies, thinking hard. "Okay the thing is, I can't actually waterbend yet. But see, there aren't any waterbenders in the Southern Water Tribe, so there isn't anyone better to teach him. Well okay there is one the Fire Nation missed, but we're not supposed to talk about that. Kind of a secret. It didn't end to well for us the last time it got out that we had some benders."

"Then why are you telling me?"

Katara gave a strange laugh-yelp. "That's a good question." She glanced at Mai for help.

"Yeah sure, look at me," Mai said. "You all know the reason. It's because she's stupid and loud. She blathers on and on."

The tall man frowned. "What's your name then? Can you prove that you're actually from the Water Tribe and not a Fire Nation spy?"

"Hey," Katara said. "I could be from the Water Tribe and still be a Fire Nation spy! There's nothing wrong with that!"

The tall man glared at her.

"Not that I am a Fire Nation spy of course," Katara gave her best smile.

The tall man glared at her.

"Fine," Katara snapped. "I am a Fire Nation spy. And when I'm done with you, you're gonna be wishing you'd just told me where that Avatar is."

"Is that so?" The tall man asked.

"Oh yeah," Katara said, taking off her furs. "You picked the wrong girl to mess with." This was way better than the stupid lies they had planned. That was the problem with strategic types, they were always thinking, sometimes it was better to just make moves and let the tiles fall where they may.

"Hey genius," Mai drawled. "You still can't firebend."

Katara blinked. Oh yeah. She had indeed forgotten. She put her furs back on. "So I'm uh… Not a Fire Nation Spy?"

"Oh Agni," Mai sighed loudly.

* * *

Zuko woke up. He felt the rocking of the ship, on a steady sail to Omashu. Good, he needed to go over the advanced sets. He couldn't even beat an old earthbender. He needed to get stronger before facing the Avatar.

He opened his eyes. Uncle sat beside him, sipping a cup of tea. The room was all steel walls, no pictures, no windows, nothing. Just Zuko and Uncle. Uncle and Zuko. Alone.

"You lost control," Uncle said.

The steel wall was, um, silver and flat and Zuko could still see Uncle's disappointed slouch in its reflection. "Yeah."

Zuko felt like he'd done something wrong, but all he'd done was act ruthlessly. He'd threatened a kid. He'd been planning to kill him. Father would have been pleased with him. Exploiting an enemy's soft heart. Despite all that Zuko still felt like dirt.

"A firebender can never lose control," Uncle said. "What if you do capture the Avatar? You become Fire Lord, and throw a tantrum the moment you hear something you don't like? The whole world will burn!"

"I'm sorry Uncle," Zuko whispered. How many times would he have to fail before he got to some… It was so easy for other people. All of it, the firebending, the control, Uncle had conquered half the world by the time he was Zuko's age. Azula had bent lightning when she was ten. Zuko felt like a drunkard on a tightrope, always a half push from spiraling out of control. But that was just the way things were. Things weren't meant to be easy. He had to struggle. "I'll do better."

"Yes." Uncle softened. "Yes I know… It's just… You haven't been hearing any voices have you? That's not why you snapped?"

"No," Zuko said quietly. "Like I've told you before, only Azula heard them. And father. And mother at the end as well. And of course you, and grandfather, and great grandfather Sozin. But me? Never."

Uncle brightened. "Good. Good."

"Did Lu Ten…" Just like always, Zuko couldn't finish the question. He didn't want to know if he was alone. If he was the only royal who hadn't been touched by the gods.

Uncle held Zuko's hand. "If you ever hear him, tell me. Tell me."

"I will," Zuko said. He knew it wouldn't matter. He would never be great. He would never truly be royal. He would never hear _Him_.

* * *

"So uh, now that you know I'm not a Fire Nation spy," Katara couldn't smile through her wince. This really sucked, but rumor had it that the Avatar had freed these men from a Fire Nation… Boat or was it a rig? Whatever, the point was that they must have known where the Avatar went… Which would in turn lead her to Zuko… After she found Zuko she would convince Iroh to teach her to bend lightning, and once she learned that she'd rematch with Bumi. After she beat him she'd challenge Azula, Iroh, and Ozai to Agni Kai's. After she beat them she would finally be ready for the only battle that actually mattered, against the person who'd wronged her above all others: the last waterbender. It was a completely genius plan, but first she had to find the Avatar. "You wouldn't happen to know where the Avatar is would you?"

"I don't," said the tall, old man. "But even if I did I wouldn't tell you. You're obviously Fire Nation, although I doubt you're a spy. A spy would be less obvious."

Well lying wouldn't work. It was time to try another angle. What did General Ukano always say about asking royals for favors? Keep it simple, focus on the positive, and sell the idea of a better life because it was the one thing you could be certain they wanted.

Katara smiled. "Think about what you could gain by helping us capture the Avatar. The Fire Nation would reward you well. No more slaving away, day after day, working the mines. I'm from the South Pole, I know how hard life can be, but I also know it doesn't have to be that way. Siding with the Fire Nation has made my life a lot easier. I'm paid well, I've got doctors who help me if I get injured or sick, I've got all the food I can eat, and I don't have to worry about the future. The Fire Nation is gonna win this war anyways, so take advantage of it. Side with a winner. Tell us where the Avatar is and secure a better future for this village."

Alright, that was one heck of a sales pitch if she did say so herself. It was like Kuzon always said, a hundred nos and one yes was still yes. Katara always got her way if she persisted long enough.

"No," said the old man.

Well darn. Katara had known it would be a tough sell, but she'd gotten the military to accept her, despite all their eugenics crap, so this would be easy in comparison. "Why do you even care about the Avatar?" Katara asked. "He's not going to change anything. That's why he's been hiding for so long. You don't owe him anything."

"He saved my life," the old man said. "He freed us all from prison."

How had Katara forgotten that? Oh well, Gran-Gran always told her that there was no use crying over spilt sea-prune soup. "So he's a nice guy? So what? He's not gonna make a difference. The Fire Nation is still gonna win this war. The only way to help your village is to tell us where he is."

"No," said the old man.

"C'mon," Katara said.

"No."

"Please!"

"No."

"I'm not going to ask again," Katara said confidently, planting a time bomb. This trick always worked. "This is my final offer. Tell us where the Avatar is."

"No."

"Okay I changed my mind, I'll give you just one more-"

"No matter what you say, my answer is going to remain the same."

Okay that hadn't worked either. She needed to change tactics. Katara had not so secretly hoped it would come to this. Mai had protested heavily against working this angle, but that was because she had the outlook of a boring, bitter, old lady. It was time for Operation Seduction.

"You're pretty tall," Katara said, stepping towards the old man. "I'm surprised I didn't notice sooner. And that mustache looks really good on you. Your hands are all rough, and you look really strong. You're kind of cute, in a wild sort of way." Katara giggled and played with her hair loopy, prettily she hoped.

Mai groaned.

"What's happening?" Said the old man, taking a step backwards. "I don't know what you're doing, but I… I kinda like it."

"I thought father was pathetic, but this is a new low," Mai drawled. "I can't watch this any more." The tall girl stepped in front of Katara.

Well it was real easy to sit and criticize from the sidelines. Mai had been a real buzz kill during the trip. She complained more than Sokka, which Katara hadn't even known was possible. But apparently the Earth Kingdom was too hot during the day, too cold during the night, and Katara's cooking wasn't up to Mai's ridiculous standards. But Katara's cooking was plenty good. It was Mai's fault for not hunting enough meat. You could only do so much with vegetables, they were hardly even food. And what the heck was a spice anyways? Frickin' Fire Nation garbage.

"Here's the deal," Mai said. "My uncle runs the prison system. I know how it works. Now let's take a look at this town."

"Burnt yards," Mai said. Soot had mixed with dirt, leaving a sludgy black mud around the village. "Burnt homes." The village's log cabins had rock fillings, with silver and black edges where the wood had been burnt through. "Rocks where they shouldn't be." Lots of boulders were out in the open. Sure there were usually a few rocks strewn around a village, but there were at least twelve pieces of granite larger than Katara out in the open. And one was stuck up in a tree. There had been a battle here.

"After the Avatar freed you from prison you fought off the Fire Nation," Mai said. "Probably a few times. Now they've stopped attacking you. You must have driven them off. Congratulations."

"What are you getting at?" The old man asked.

Mai's hands were in her pockets, and she spoke to the ground. "It takes the Fire Nation a few months to process prison escapes. After processing, if the situation calls for it, the military gets involved. They will find you, attack you, again and again until they win. Then they will kill you. All of you. Your wives, your sons, your daughters, and your elderly. They will collect your heads, and present it to prisoners to show them what happens to those who resist."

Mai looked pale, and had broken into a cold sweat. She had never seemed so miserable. "I've checked with my uncle. Your file will be processed in a month. Your name is Tyro right? I can have my uncle throw away your case."

"Fine," Tyro said. "You win. The Avatar is in Omashu."

Mai bowed, and the pair of girls left on their ostrich-horses. The tall girl was normally quiet, with the exception of a few complaints, but now she was eerily silent. She kept glancing over at Katara, and then away before Katara could meet her gaze.

The plains of the Earth Kingdom had never been as well, earthy, as Katara had imagined when she'd been in the South Pole. They were mostly green meadows, with a few iceberg sized trees thrown in. Maybe a river, and if you were especially lucky a lake. But mostly it was flat and boring just like it was now. Katara waited for something interesting to emerge, like maybe a saber-toothed moose or something? But instead there was nothing, just grass.

"Why didn't you just threaten him from the beginning?" Katara finally asked, after they'd been riding for a few miles. "The second you said his name he folded. You could've saved us a lot of trouble if you'd just led with that."

"I don't even know if uncle _can_ throw out the file. Much less if he will just because I ask him to."

"Oh," Katara said. "Well good job then. You had me fooled too."

"I hate these things," Mai said, getting off the ostrich-horse. "They make me feel sick."

Katara predicted that Mai would be back on the horse in a few minutes, but the girl just kept walking and walking and walking. She kept looking up at Katara, then back down, hands in pocket, face blank.

"Do you really think they'll kill them?" Mai finally asked.

So that was what this was about. It was cute. Mai liked to pretend to be a frigid little twerp, but underneath it all was a sensitive, caring girl with a beautiful soul. This was great, it was the best piece of blackmail she'd obtained since she'd caught Sokka making out with his pillow. "If your uncle doesn't steal the file? Of course."

"Even the children?" Mai asked.

"Yeah."

Mai frowned. "Did you ever do anything like that?"

"Me? No." Katara chuckled. "I'm too good for those jobs."

"Did father?"

"Well yeah," Katara said hesitantly. "It's different for him, he's a General."

Mai said nothing. She looked troubled, but that wasn't really fair.

"It's not like he can say no to the Fire Lord or Princess Azula," Katara said.

"I know," Mai said. "I don't either."

Well that was a strange answer. "Do you know Princess Azula?"

"She's a…" Mai frowned. "We knew each other as kids. We went to the same school and shared a friend."

"Is she as good a bender as everyone says?"

"Yes."

Katara scoffed. "I could take her."

Mai stared at her like she'd grown a second head. Then the tall girl put her head down and walked. No more talking apparently. That was fine. They'd be in Omashu in no time.

* * *

The road to Omashu was long and winding, but there wasn't any way into the city other than through the front gates. Both sides of the road were vertical cliffs, and Zuko was forced to wonder why nobody had installed guard rails. One misstep and he'd be plummeting to his death.

Zuko felt exposed as he walked to the city, a rice hat the only thing covering his famous scar. He felt as if the people in the city were staring down at him, from the peaks of the four giant pyramids that could be confused for mountains. As he trudged closer to the walls, their size grew more apparent, as did the fact that there was no door to the city. The road simply ended in a smooth sheet of granite, a hundred feet tall. The walls rumbled and groaned, and the rocks slid aside creating an opening which three Earth Kingdom soldiers marched through. The largest of them, a muscular man with broad shoulders, stomped on the ground, and ripped out a boulder. It hovered above Zuko. One lapse of concentration, one moment of hesitation, and it would pop his skull like a cherry.

"State your business," the largest soldier barked.

"I was a soldier," Zuko whispered. He had rehearsed with Uncle. If questioned, he had served under General Fong. His name was Lee, and he was returning to a mother named Ming. The anticipation was making his heart shutter. These guards were all that stood between him and the Avatar! "My eye got burnt. Can't see well enough for battle. I was sent ho- _home._ " He tipped his cap so it covered his eyes. He hadn't meant to say it with such longing.

"Get any of them?" The soldier asked.

"What?" Zuko asked.

"You know," One of the soldiers laughed, and walked to Zuko's side, slapping his back. "Fire Nation? How many of 'em you kill?"

Zuko swallowed, and felt the weight of the boulder above him. He remembered to keep his face stiff. "Yeah. One or two." Why had he said that? That invited questions. He should've just said he hadn't killed-

"Oh? Get any of those firebenders?" The soldier asked.

"I um... No…" Zuko said. Yes, that was better. Didn't invite questions, but maybe it was too short. "I don't know. It happened fast."

"Hey, you ask me, it doesn't matter who you killed," said the soldier guarding the wall. "One less of those monsters is always a good thing. I just wish I could get out on the front lines. Make a name for myself. Chao The Excellent is what they'll call me." Chao brightened, and puffed out his chest. "I just need a chance. How'd you get off guard duty… Err?"

"Zu- Lee." Zuko wanted to bury his head in the ground. He'd barely caught himself from blurting out his actual name. "I um-"

"Did you say Zuley?" The guard beside him asked. "Now that's a weird name. There's gotta be a story behind it. Did your dad lose a bet or something?"

"No," said Chao. "Are you deaf Jia? He clearly said Zu Lee. A good, practical Earth Kingdom name."

"He said neither," the largest soldier, the one bending the large slab of rock above Zuko, said. Chao and Jia stiffened. Zuko inhaled, building heat in his stomach. "He said Zu- stopped- and said Lee. Jia, take off his hat, let me get a look at his face."

Zuko let out his breath, and forced himself to relax. "No need for-"

"Get your hands down!" The largest soldier said. "Jia! Hat!"

Jia nodded and used a knife to tip the brim of Zuko's hat up, so his sergeant could get a good view of Zuko's scar. Zuko met the sergeant's eyes, but Jia didn't lower his knife, keeping the edge a few inches from Zuko's neck. Every muscle in his body wanted to explode, his spirit screamed for him to incinerate, and his instincts demanded he strike first. Instead he gave the guards an easy smile. They controlled whether or not he saw the Avatar. He'd rather die than throw away this chance.

The sergeant's green eyes flared, and Zuko exploded backwards, throwing simultaneous fire strikes at the sergeant and Jia. The boulder crashed down, billowing a cloud of dust into the air. Zuko charged through it, and heard the sound of stone grinding on stone. His fists slammed into the wall of Omashu, and he pawed at it desperately, looking for the entrance. Then the dust cleared and he saw that it was gone. The guards must have closed it. He'd blown his chance! He'd been so close, so close to finding the Avatar, finally being able to return home after all these years. He'd never even dared to think about the possibility, but now that it was gone Zuko realized just how much he'd hoped for it. Why else would he feel this numb? This sick?

What had given him away? His scar. His identity. The famous exiled prince. Why did everything have to be so hard? He deserved to find the Avatar! He'd been searching for years, never resting for even a day, even a moment! Why couldn't Agni just-

"Help! Somebody!"

It took him a moment to find the voice. One of the guards, Jia, was dangling off the side of the road-cliff, struggling not to drop to the ground below the clouds. His fingers clawed for purchase on the flat rocky plane.

Zuko ran to the man and hauled him up.

"Thanks," Jia said. "You saved…"

The soldier and the prince noticed the knife at the same time. It was just laying there, harmlessly in the middle of the road. Jia must've dropped it to avoid Zuko's blast. It was barely an armslength away, and if Jia dove for it, he'd be able to slash Zuko's throat before he could generate a flame. The first to the knife would live, and the other would die. They were enemy soldiers. There was no other way this could end.

"Go back to your home," Zuko said, sighing. "I'm done here." He turned, and walked away from Omashu, letting the soldier scramble back to the city he was supposed to be defending. Once he was back to his ship Uncle was there to greet him.

"How'd it go?" Iroh asked, then frowned. "Poorly I take it. Otherwise you wouldn't be here."

Zuko didn't respond. Crewmen stuck to the side of the hallways as Zuko stormed to his quarters. He opened a metal door, and was greeted with a small room with four barren walls, a cot, and a desk covered in maps and a journal. He'd spent every evening for the past four years meticulously documenting the Avatar's whereabouts, optimizing journey routes, planning how to get to the most remote locations in the world. All for one chance to get the Avatar. Well today he'd gotten that chance. And he'd blown it. He walked to his cot, buried his head in a pillow, and started to cry.

"Nephew?" Uncle asked, knocking on the door. "May I come in?"

"No," Zuko said weakly, but of course Uncle had already entered. He gave Zuko a few pats on the back.

"Omashu will now be on guard for Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation," Uncle said, and grinned. He held out a fake mustache, a doorag, and a pirate eyepatch. "But they won't be looking for the retired pirate Zheng!"

Zuko stared at the costume. This was a dumb plan. Ridiculous. Uncle was acting as cooky and strange as Azula always claimed. A Fire Nation Royal would never even entertain such a thought.

Zuko snatched the costume. Pride, dignity, and class all came second to honor. He would do whatever it took to find the Avatar.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for reading! Next on The First Firebender... "Please The Blind Bandit," The Hippo begged, his low voice risen several octaves. "The Hippo's family has been kidnapped by the diabolical Fire Nation Man. Please The Blind Bandit, let The Hippo win the wondrous Earth Rumble Seven so he can use the prize money to save his family."

"Well," said The Blind Bandit cheerfully. "Maybe you should've fought better then, huh?"

There was the groan of shifting rock, a whooshing sound, and the drunks in front of Mai ducking for cover. A hulking blob of a man slammed into the stands, just a few shoulder-lengths from her. The Hippo had left an impact crater in the rocks, woozily blinked his eyes, and checked all four of his teeth.


	7. Chapter 6: Mai's Wonderful Horrible Life

"Aang, is that really you?"

Bumi looked different. He laid in bed, with his face wrapped in bandages. Aang wanted to be grateful. He'd promised himself that he'd enjoy the time he had left with his old friend, but he just couldn't. Not here in this white room, which had a strange soapy smell to it. Bumi was meant to be an adventurer, he shouldn't be here, cooped up in a hospital, he should be out in the world exploring some cave in the wilderness.

"Yeah," Aang said. "It's me."

"And I'm Bumi!" Bumi cackled at the rhyme. "It's good to see you old friend! Come! Let me get a good look at'chya!"

Aang took a step towards Bumi.

"Ahh yes," Bumi said, "Those are some good vibrations, jump up and down, won't ya? And your two friends as well."

What was Bumi even talking about? Vibrations, was it some earthbending thing? No, Haru was scratching his head as well, maybe it was just Bumi being Bumi.

Sokka hopped alone. Then stopped and blushed. "Well he told us… Ahh forget it!"

"Bumi," Aang said. "I need to master the four elements and stop this war as soon as possible, and you're the best earthbender in the world. I'd be honored to have you as a teacher."

"I'd love to Aang, but I'm all wrapped up!" Bumi grabbed his bandages, and cackled at the pun.

"We've got a solution," Sokka said proudly, digging for something in his bag. "The Northern Water Tribe is known for its healers. We're going to rush you there on Appa using a modified saddle." He held up a badly drawn picture of Appa, with two circles holding down a stick figure. "These contraptions, which I'm calling Sokka restraints, will keep you held down while we're in the air. Meanwhile, Haru will be taking care of any bodily functions that may occur, such as sponge baths and diaper change-"

"I'm sorry, but I don't like being tied down," Bumi said. "I know, I know, some people are into that kind of thing, and while I have no problem with that, I myself am not into it. I'm just not that kinda fella'. I'm staying here. I'm _dead_ set on it."

"But why?" Aang asked. The whole reason he'd outed himself as the Avatar was so that he could help people and stop his friends from dying. He'd been so excited when he and Sokka had put together the plan. He was going to go to the Northern Water Tribe, learn to waterbend while they healed Bumi, and then learn to earthbend. He'd finally known what the next few years of his life would be like. He'd even been happy about it! "We're offering a way to save you!"

"Ehh," Bumi said. "I'm a hundred years old. They may be able to heal these wounds but I'll still fall apart like the soggy cabbages I had before my battle. It's not the cabbage merchant's fault of course, his stand was run over by an out of control mail cart. Who knows where that cart came from? Fine, I admit it, it was me! I was using the mailing system as a slide. Do you remember doing that when we were kids Aang?"

"Yeah," Aang said numbly. Bumi had lived for a hundred years and was finally ready to die. He didn't want to be saved; he wanted to say goodbye. "We had fun."

"We sure did," Bumi said happily, tucking himself under some blankets. "You know, I met another kid and showed him the slide, but he didn't enjoy it quite as much as you did. Almost gave him a heart attack. The Phoenix King."

Sokka and Haru gasped. Apparently that was someone famous?

"That's the man who helped me retake Omashu, Aang, if you're wondering. I'm sure you've heard the tale: pentapi, creepers, and poop it's all true. So no need to go over it again right? Now come and take this," Bumi said.

Aang took a wooden tile with a carved white lotus on it. He played around with it, inspecting the notches for any hidden compartments, but he couldn't find anything. It seemed ordinary. Why was Bumi giving him a Pai Sho piece?

"Confused?" Bumi asked. "It is an unusual strategy, and many prefer using the red lotus or the dragon. The white lotus turns the weak strong. It helps unify the battlefield. That tile will be very useful when the time comes. Make sure that your friends grow with you Aang, make sure that one becomes a fearsome earthbender, and that one becomes a resourceful waterbender."

"I'm not a- Oh whatever…" Sokka shook his head and let Bumi talk.

The old king entertained them with stories of his hundred year past. The hopelessness of Azulon's reign, with the Fire Nation conquering city after city. The brutality of Iroh's command: rape and pillage becoming a common strategy to lure soldiers out of fortified strongholds. And in all that darkness emerged the Phoenix King- Aang's replacement- who was the savior the world desperately needed. And finally the enigmatic Fire Lord Ozai, who seemed much less interested in conquest. The Fire Nation was still an enemy to be feared and respected, but seemed distracted, as if they were focused on... A war somewhere else. But where and with who? Nobody knew, and the conversation started to dwindle and die, until Bumi asked an unusual question. "How do you kill a phoenix spirit?"

"Umm," Aang said. "Huh?"

"It's immortal," Bumi said, rubbing his brow with a gnarled finger. "And whenever you kill it, it just gets reborn. So what can you do?"

"Trap it?" Aang said. "Why does this matter? Who would even want to kill a phoenix?"

"What if it stood in the way of all your plans?" Bumi asked, suddenly serious. "What if it were an evil spirit who wanted to destroy the world? What if it was behind every bad thing that has happened over the past one hundred years?"

Evil phoenix? Phoenix King? Were they related? Aang had no idea, he felt out of the loop, but that was nothing unusual. Everybody in the room was looking at him now, so Aang opened his mouth, and let the words spill out. "Well, um, phoenixes are very um, phoenixy. They're a bird that bursts into flame when they're killed, and are meant to signify um, reincarnation of the spirit and stuff. I mean you're right, you couldn't kill it so fighting it would be um..." Aang rambled. "The airbending way would be to reason with the phoenix. If you could just understand each other, I'm sure that you could find some kind of compromise."

"Wrong," Bumi said. "This is an evil phoenix Aang. You could no more stop it from destroying than you could the sun from rising. Well, let's see what your friends have to say. You are?"

"I'm Haru, and I would… Well I'm sure this is probably wrong, but I'd bury the phoenix. If it's trapped underground it doesn't matter if it's reborn every time it's killed."

"Yeah you're right," Bumi said pleasantly. "You were wrong. And what do you have to say?"

"Take away its magic," Sokka said, leaning against a wall. "Without its magic it's just another bird."

"Closer," Bumi said. "But still wrong. Aang you must find an answer to this question or your time as an Avatar will be remembered as a failu… It won't be remembered. This is going to be hard Aang, none of my friends have come up with an answer either, but you are the Avatar. You must find a way."

"Yeah," Aang said. "I will Bumi. Don't even worry about it." He tried not to show his doubt. Everyone kept saying he was the Avatar, asking him to change the world, stop the Fire Nation, stop some demonic spirit. Sure the past Avatars had done incredible things, but Aang wasn't them, he was just himself. He couldn't even bend water yet. Bumi was asking for the impossible, but he was also dying. Aang would have to find some way to make it happen.

"Do you know anything more about this mysteriously evil phoenix thing?" Sokka asked. "It sounds a lot like you're making a convoluted metaphor for hatred and war or something."

"That's not what I'm doing," Bumi said, sighing. "You want information on the phoenix? See the world. You'll find a rockin' place, full of strange animals, foggy forests, and even a centipede that steals faces." Bumi turned in bed, so he was facing away from them. "Now can you all tell the nurse I want my dear pet Fluffy? Daddy misses his precious little boy."

"Sure thing Bumi," Aang said, and hesitated. This might be the last time he saw his friend; was this really how he was going to say goodbye? It seemed like he'd been in a muddled haze since becoming the Avatar except for a few brief moments of clarity. When would things become clear? Was this what it was like to be an adult, always confused? Haru nudged him forward.

Aang hugged Bumi. "I'm sorry I left."

"I'm glad you're back Aang," said Bumi. "I'm happy I got to see you again. Now go out there and save the world!"

Aang nodded, and left full of determination. He was the Avatar! Stop an immortal, evil spirit? Aang laughed at the challenge! Ha, ha, ha! Now he just needed a lead to get started...

"Are you the Avatar?" A tall dark-haired boy asked, as soon as Aang left Bumi's room. "He told you about the phoenix spirit right? Come with me!"

"Who are you?" Sokka demanded. "Were you listening in on us? Are you from the Fire Nation?"

"Does it matter?" The dark-haired boy asked. "I've got information on the phoenix."

"He doesn't look like he's from the Fire Nation," Haru said. "I think we should trust him."

"Looks don't matter," Sokka said. "He could be a spy. Bumi is the best earthbender in the world, and he's dying. I bet the Fire Nation knows we're here. They sent an assassin here to wait for us."

The dark-haired boy sniffed, and grabbed one of Sokka's pouches off his waist. He dipped a finger inside, and tasted some black powder. "Still using sulfur? You're a generation behind."

"Oh really?" Sokka asked sarcastically. "Then what are you using genius?"

"Soap."

"Soap? That's ridiculous, what good would that…" Sokka trailed off, and started to pace. He scratched his head and frowned. He got out a quill, and scribbled on the wall of the pristine, white, hospital hallway, letters and arrows, but it all looked like gibberish. A nurse noticed, but instead of stopping Sokka, inspected the equation closely and whispered something to him. Sokka nodded, and wrote down another line of symbols, with an improvised arrow pointed at a letter that must have represented something. Sokka took a step back, gave a half shrug, and copied down his scribbles onto a scroll, with a caption in the bottom that read: _Figure out later_. _Ask new guy about nitrating process._

"Well he's definitely from the Fire Nation Aang," Sokka said, bouncing on his toes like an airbender who'd scored his first airball goal. "But I think we should trust him anyways."

Haru winced. "Is it true?"

The dark-haired boy glanced at Aang. "My ancestors were Air Nomads. I'm not your enemy Aang. The phoenix is."

Haru nudged Sokka, but Sokka was entranced by the scribbles he'd written earlier. "I know it doesn't mean much, coming from me, but you have to believe me. He's just telling you what you want to hear Aang," Haru said reluctantly.

Could it be true? The dark-haired boy did have gray eyes, but he didn't really have the freedom or the spirit of an airbender. He was a facts guy, like Sokka, and Aang was fine with that, but he definitely wasn't an Air Nomad. Haru was right. This guy was shady.

"Sokka was right," Haru said. "You are Fire Nation. You were sent here to capture the Avatar."

The dark-haired boy tensed.

Monk Gyatso had told him that a fight should be savored when it came to you. That time slowed, your thoughts faded, and you just _did_. He'd told Aang that it was a false nirvana, perhaps the closest man could come to enlightenment in the natural world. He'd also told him it was evil and to be avoided whenever possible. What he hadn't told Aang was the nausea he would feel in his gut, the pins and needle on his skin, and the pure panic that threatened to obliterate all conscious thought. Despite all this, there was no denying that Aang's mind expanded: he noticed the narrow hallways that would make airbending difficult, the three nurses carrying silver trays, several open doors leading to potential hostages, and Sokka, back turned, still focused on his scribbles. How? How had Sokka not noticed the vibrations in the room change? Even the air seemed heavy from the inevitable violence. Haru met Aang's eyes, and jerked his head towards Sokka. If the dark-haired assassin attacked, Aang would save Sokka while Haru covered him.

The assassin's hand darted to his waist where his fingers settled around a wooden handle connected to a metal tube. What was that thing, some kind of weapon? Why not the knife or the glider? Glider...

"Where do you want to go?" Aang asked. Someone with a glider had to be trustworthy and besides, he needed to gather information on the phoenix anyways.

The dark-haired boy's lips curled. "The Northern Air Temple."

* * *

"I'd like a medium sized bowl of fireflakes," Mai said, putting down her menu, sounding perky for once.

"And how hot would the young miss like them?" Asked a waiter, dressed in a fancy black and white… What did General Ukano call the silly costumes? A suit, that was it! The waiter was dressed in something uncomfortable, that you couldn't fight or move in, that looked ridiculous, and also couldn't get dirty. But the important thing was that it was expensive and showed you were better than everyone else.

"Five," Mai answered quickly, a small, almost invisible smile on her lips.

The waiter nodded. "And what would you like young lady?"

Young lady? What in the moon was that? Katara scowled. Why was Mai a _miss_ and Katara a _young lady_? Was it because Mai was wearing some fancy Fire Nation silk, while Katara was wearing her shabby Water Tribe furs? The lack of respect, the blatant racism, was unbelievable. "Do you have any sea prunes?" Katara asked sweetly. "Back in my hometown, every single restaurant had sea prunes."

"You're going to make a scene again, aren't you?" Mai sighed. "This is embarrassing."

"Um, I'm sorry, we don't have any uh… Sea prunes? We do have prunes though, perhaps you'd be interested in our prune salad?"

Salad? Salads were an evil thing, almost completely made up of vegetables. Once you picked out the real food, you were left with only a few morsels of meat. Katara got out of her chair and marched out of the restaurant, entering into one of the many pristine arterials in Gaoling. The roads were white and marbled, full of wealthy Gaoling denizens. There was none of the usual bussle of a city, none of the normal ambient noise. People screaming, kids crying, merchants trying to sell her stuff, there was none of that. Instead the people here talked in whispers, and walked with an elegant gait, never deigning to so much as nudge a slow jackass.

"Well that was an impressive temper tantrum," Mai said, settling behind her. "Your manners are almost as good as Tom-Tom's. He's almost eleven by the way. Months."

Katara ignored her, and stalked down the street, bumping into anyone who got in her way. They'd been in Gaoling for a week, and she had nothing to do. The Avatar was in Omashu, but Mai had repeatedly told her it wasn't safe for them to go there. Something about killing their King, which Katara hadn't even meant to do. Well no, she had tried of course, but she'd totally failed, sort of… Katara hoped the old man made it out okay. She badly wanted a rematch, and well, killing always made her feel… It was never good to dwell on these things. Katara strongly suspected that if she ever took the time to think about what she'd done, what she was doing, that she wouldn't like what she found. So Zuko. She'd just have to find a way to amuse herself until they received some news on him or the Avatar. Mai had taken to roaming the Earth Kingdom stalls for fireflakes, but Katara hadn't found any that sold sea-prune stew. It wasn't fair. How could these dirty earthers cater to the Fire Nation and not the Water Tribe?

"You know I had to apologize to the waiter?" Mai asked, and sighed. "Why do I even bother? You don't care about anyone but yourself. I don't understand why you hate this city so much. We can finally bathe again."

Katara wrinkled her nose. They could bathe in the wild as well. In rivers and ponds and lakes. Mai was just a wimp, an arrogant city woman. Everything had to be elegant and high-class for her. Take for example the rowdy-looking boys grouped against a wall. Mai would never want to associate with low born peasants like them. Honestly, Katara wouldn't normally either, they just looked dirty and poor, the type of men who would cat call an elegant lady just to make her uncomfortable. The only reason she would possibly speak with them was to piss off Mai, and was Katara really so petty?

She ran towards them, and they cleared out of her way so she could see a poster. On it was a big fat man staring down a small, smirking, blind girl. Above them all was a a greasy man in a badly drawn Fire Nation costume, holding a woman and two children in the palm of his hand. In the corner was a small caption.

"You like wrestling?" A boy asked hopefully. "I'm kind of hoping The Hippo wins, even though I'm a big fan of The Blind Bandit. The Hippo is fighting for his family, but he's outclassed and everyone knows it."

"Eh, Fire Nation Man is gonna get exposed, just like always," said another boy, also eyeing her hopefully. "Wrestling's fake. These stories have gotten so predictable."

Wrestling was the kind of thing Sokka would love, but no amount of nostalgia was gonna make Katara want to watch a bunch of naked men shout one-liners at each other for two hours. It was gross.

"Can we please go." Mai said, in an annoying monotone drawl. "Not even you would be interested in that."

General Ukano had warned Katara about her bad habit. Cutting her nose to spite her face he called it. But this was more like cutting her nose to spite Mai's face, so his advice couldn't possibly apply. "Where and when?" She asked.

Mai groaned. Katara smiled.

* * *

"Teo is a fool," the old shopkeep raved. "Don't listen to his stories. The Northern Air Temple is no place for humans. I've seen many travellers venture into that death trap, and not a single bender has ever returned. It has been touched by evil. Anyone with a lick of sense will do well to avoid that place."

The shopkeep was a dishevelled balding man. His shirt was buttoned so that the left side was higher than the right, and the hair he had left exploded in all directions like a flame. He wore glasses, but had somehow managed to put them on upside down.

"He's right Aang," Teo admitted. "But you're the Avatar. The last airbender. Why do you think that is? Do you really think that the Fire Nation could kill every single airbender, an art devoted to evasion? No. It's the phoenix. It's taken our home and our bending. You have to get it back."

Aang nodded. He and Teo had gotten off on the wrong foot, but they'd patched things up and become fast friends.

The shopkeep pounded on the walls of his tiny shack. It shook and wobbled, and overflowing rows of goods threatened to topple. "You're the Avatar? And you're thinking of going inside? Are you mad! Don't you know the legends? Before the war the airbenders fled! Something was taking them, their most powerful benders, one by one. Stealing their bending! Feeding on there spirits and then wearing their skins! If you give the thing that lives inside the temple the power of the Avatar…" The color drained from the shopkeep's face. "Are you working for _Him_ Teo? Have you struck a deal? Has _It_ promised to return your mother to you?"

Teo grabbed the shopkeep, pinned his chin on the table, and slid the blunt side of his knife along the shopkeep's neck. " _It_ killed my mom Rinchen! You think I'd ever work with that _thing_!"

The shopkeep struggled in Teo's grip, but couldn't escape. Aang's knuckles tightened against his glider. He didn't want to turn on a friend, but he would if he had too. "You're starting to sound just like your father Teo. He used to tell me the same thing," the shopkeep said, wearing a cruel smirk.

Teo tensed and flipped his knife. Shit. Aang leapt forward, sending the tall dark-haired boy flying with a gust of wind. Goods from the shack cascaded to the ground in a clatter, and its walls shook madly. The shopkeep collected himself, and nodded at Aang. "Teo is using you for revenge. He doesn't know it, but he has already been seduced by _Its_ whispers. If you go to the Northern Air Temple, the spirits there will suck you dry and use your powers to end the world."

"Did it really wear people's faces?" Aang asked. Bumi had mentioned a centipede that stole faces. He'd been telling him to come here!

The shopkeep frowned. "This is no joking matter Avatar. If one of those _things_ catches you, it won't kill you- it'll do something much, much worse."

"C'mon Aang, let's go," Teo said. "We've gotten the glycerin we need. Now Rinchen's just trying to scare you."

"'Kay," Aang said, bouncing on his toes. This was great, he was finally performing his Avatar duties. Sure the mission was creepy, but here he was! Acting like the Avatar! He couldn't wait to return to camp. But he had to go through the forest.

The trees in this area of the world were strange. They were short and squat, with other trees of the same kind budding off branches. Several of the trunks had cracked and fallen partially to the ground, with strands of moss-fungus feeding on the carcass. And instead of the song of bat-birds, he heard the monotone drone of grasshopper-locusts. Finally they arrived at camp. Aang greeted Haru, and Sokka and Teo disappeared behind a tree to make explosives. Once the sun had risen high in the sky, they were ready to go, but Teo cleared his throat as they were about to get on Appa.

"I'm sure you've all heard the rumors," Teo said. "That if you're caught the spirits will contaminate your soul, and steal your skin. Superstitious nonsense. Here take these," He handed each member of the search party a little ball that looked like a cherry. "If you get caught just pull the stem. Inside is an explosive my father and I developed called nitroglycerin. It doesn't need a spark, just a jerk. It'll blow you and whatever caught you back to the spirit world, so there's really nothing to fear."

Haru gave his cherry bomb a heavy stare. "Are you sure about this Aang? I think we should go to the North Pole. You should be farther along in your Avatar training before you face the phoenix. You're not ready."

"Yip, yip," Aang said, pulling Appa's reins. Together they flew to the spires the pierced the clouds. The Northern Air Temple. He was through with running from his problems.

* * *

This had to be the worst moment of her life. It was a common thought for Mai, as each day seemed worse than the last, but she was sure that when she looked back on her life, whether it be ten, twenty, or thirty years from now, this horrible experience would stand out as the coronation of her misery. A fat, sweaty, pig of a man rubbed up against her, getting the black silk dress she'd spent an entire afternoon picking out with Ty Lee watery, smelly, and disgusting. It was now utterly repellant and she'd have to burn it. If only she could do the same to herself.

"Sweep her legs, sweep her legs," The pig-man screamed. A little blind girl had wandered into the wrestling ring below, and started fighting. Mai had been worried for her at first, but it had become apparent that she was just as low-brow and obnoxious as the rest of the costumed muscle men.

"That would never work Fat-boy, The Blind Bandit's defending against that. Look at how she keeps him from advancing," Katara said from atop a stone bench. She'd been forced to stand, as the boozed up spectators in front of them had risen, blocking their view. Mai was getting a good look at a pair of rounded, keg-shaped shoulders covered in sweat drenched fabric. She was almost glad that the place oozed the noxious scent of stale alcohol, as it acted as perfume to the other odors that surely lurked in this sweaty pocket of Earth Kingdom peasantry.

"Hey you're right!" The pig-man said. "You're pretty smart girl! What do you think The Hippo should be doing?"

"Get The Bandit moving," Katara said, blushing. "She hasn't moved off her spot against any of the other wrestlers. If you make her dance by attacking with smaller faster rocks, maybe you can bother her and force a mistake."

See, now that made Mai want to get up and view the match, but that would make it look like she cared. Instead she pouted and stared at the swampy asses of a bunch of middle-aged men. Then the earth rumbled, the crowd gasped, laughed, and started to chant. "Bandit, Bandit, Bandit!"

Katara frowned. "The Blind Bandit needs to finish The Hippo off. Just because he's a big guy doesn't mean he can't be flexible. I knew a guy, Danshingu Bar-Ra, who could do the splits even though he weighed four hundred pounds."

"No," The pig-man said. "He's done for."

"Please The Blind Bandit," The Hippo begged, his low voice risen several octaves. "The Hippo's family has been kidnapped by the diabolical Fire Nation Man. Please The Blind Bandit, let The Hippo win the wondrous Earth Rumble Seven so he can use the prize money to save his family."

"Well," said The Blind Bandit cheerfully. "Maybe you should've fought better then, huh?"

There was the groan of shifting rock, a whooshing sound, and the drunks in front of Mai ducking for cover. A hulking blob of a man slammed into the stands, just a few shoulder-lengths from her. The Hippo had left an impact crater in the rocks, woozily blinked his eyes, and checked all four of his teeth.

"Are you okay?" She asked cautiously.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, we practice this stuff all the time," The Hippo said quietly. "Sit back and enjoy the show. We've got a big surprise planned for today. You're gonna love it."

Mai reluctantly stood and watched the small dirty rink. The Hippo nodded in approval. Now that one of the performers was literally watching her, she had no choice but to view the show in avid interest. To do otherwise would be rude. And Mai was a classy young lady, not a rude one. It was what she despised most about herself, even more than her juvenile cynicism.

"Is this it for the lovely Yi, and her two baby boys Er and San?" Boomed the voice of the Earth Rumble announcer. "Won't anybody help the children? Won't anyone take on the undefeated, reigning, three-time _champion_?"

A man in a crudely made Fire Nation costume cackled, twirling a thin mustache like some cheap villain in an Ember Island play. "Nothing will stop my evil scheming, for I am-"

The little blind girl started to chortle. "No one will challenge me. Nobody's dumb enough Xin Fu! I am the greatest earthbender who has ever lived!"

The crowd's roars echoed through the stadium. "Bandit! Bandit! Bandit!"

"Aw heck yeah!" Katara said, a glint of determination in her eyes. Aw heck no. Mai knew that look. She'd seen it in Zuko whenever he'd gotten the brilliant idea in his dumb little brain to challenge Azula.

"No!" Mai said. "You'll blow our cover. And you still can't-"

Katara shook her off. "You're boring Mai. What do you have against fun?"

"I'm not boring!" Mai regretted the words as soon as she spoke them.

"You're right," Katara said, in a genuine and not at all mocking way. "You're a joy to be around. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings Mai. Will you forgive me?"

Sarcasm was the lowest form of humor. Mai would not dignify such crassness with a response.

"Your friendship means so much to me Mai, please forgive me!"

Thankfully, the announcer, Xin Fu, started to speak again. "What's this? We have a new challenger? A new wrestler?"

A catchy tune, like something out of the cheesiest Ember Island play, erupted. Duh-duh dunuh, dunuh-nuh-nuh. Duh-duh dunuh, dunuh-nuh-nuh. Duh-duh dunuh, dunuh-nuh-nuh.

"Is it really you?" The Hippo bellowed, back in character. "Are you back from the war old friend?"

"Yes," said a handsome muscular man, flexing his arms. "I heard The Hippo was in trouble and had to return. For the Boulder is the nightmare of all who would do wrong! The Boulder fights for truth, justice, and the Earth Kingdom way! The Boulder will always protect the weak and innocent, from the evils of the nefarious Fire Nation! Now, tell The Boulder who he is facing!"

"Me," said The Blind Bandit, smirking up at her much larger opponent. Mai didn't feel the emotion often, so she almost didn't recognize it, but she genuinely admired the little girl. She was tiny, with gentle doll-like features, a picture of frail Earth Kingdom femininity, but she'd rejected all that to become a loud, brash professional wrestler. That was almost as cool as it was lame. Almost.

The Boulder blinked. "The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young blind girl!"

"What's wrong? Are you _scared_?" The Blind Bandit smirked. "The Pebble."

"The Boulder's over his conflicted feelings," The Boulder roared. "And now he's going to bury you in a rock-alanche!" The Boulder's neck bulged as he slammed his arms upwards ripping a large boulder out of the ground. He huffed and he puffed and he lunged forward, heaving the boulder at The Blind- no wait, he'd done the splits, and his boulder fell harmlessly to the ground. The Blind Bandit crunched her foot in the ground, sending The Boulder sailing into the stands.

"She did it again!" The Hippo said, shaking Mai with no regard for her personal space. "Now the whole plan is ruined! We spent weeks scripting the show and casting a new actor, but the little diva down there had to go and ruin everything. The audience will be furious."

The announcer called out a couple of scantily-clad ring girls, that were clearly a big draw for perverts, and they brought out a large golden belt and a bag of prize money. The Bandit took the belt, and lifted it over her head with a calm, blank expression.

"Bandit! Bandit! Bandit!" The crowd cheered lustily.

"It looks like you've won again Blind Bandit," the announcer said, glaring at the girl. "Very _unexpected_. Perhaps you'd like to help The Hippo, and pay The Fire Nation Man's ransom to free the lovely Yi, and her children Er and San?"

"Nah," said The Blind Bandit, her index finger stuck halfway up her nostril. "Like I've told you before, I absolutely need that money for my _third_ pool Xin Fu. If The Hippo wanted to save his family maybe he should've trained a little harder. Or had better friends. The Boulder was just as sorry as the rest of your pathetic wrestlers." She smirked, shook his hand, and disappeared into the earth. The announcer stared at something on his palm, and wiped it on his shirt.

"Always so unprofessional," The Hippo complained. "That girl puts herself above the show. I don't know why Xin Fu keeps her around."

"Bandit! Bandit! Bandit!" The crowd roared.

"Ha, ha, ha," The Fire Nation Man cackled evilly. "I um, it looks like you failed The Hippo! I shall now um…" The Fire Nation Man wiped his brow, and glanced at the announcer for direction. The announcer shrugged. "Kill your family… Next time! If you fail to win Earth Rumble Eight, next-Wednesday-at-five-PM, I shall kill your lovely wife Yi, and your darling children Er and San! Ahahaha!"

"Not Yi, you bastard!" The Hippo roared, right in Mai's ear. "The Hippo will win Earth Rumble Eight, next-Wednesday-at-five-PM. The Hippo has never won before, but he will find strength for his wife and children. The Hippo swears it, on his life and his honor... This time for real."

The crowd was utterly silent. This was perhaps as embarrassing as when Katara had put the moves on a fifty-year-old miner. Well no, it wasn't that bad, but it was surely a close second.

Suddenly the arena darkened, as every torch and candle went out at once. Oh no. No, no, no, Agni please no.

Katara cackled, and a fire burst into existence behind her, illuminating her silhouette but none of her features. "Fire Nation Man, you have failed me for the last time!"

"Umm sorry?" The Fire Nation Man asked, in his horribly fake Fire Nation accent. "Who are you?"

"I am The Boulder's arch-nemesis," Katara said, without a hint of embarrassment. "I am Saff Fire! The most powerful firebender in the Western region of the North Shore of the Southern Isle's Easternmost Island, and the person behind the nefarious plot to kidnap Mister Four Teeth's _ugly_ Earth Kingdom wife Yi, and his _bratty_ children Er and San!" Katara turned and walked into the lone fire behind her, its tendrils pooling around her, embracing her as if it was a droplet of water. "I knew my genius scheme would lure out The Boulder! You hero type's are always so stupid! Almost as stupid as your country, the stupid Earth Kingdom. _No wonder you're losing the war._ " As she spoke her last words, Katara submerged herself entirely in fire, seemingly becoming the flame.

The peasants recovered from their silence, and pelted her with boos, rocks, cabbages, and tomatoes.

"You better enjoy this week The Boulder," Katara boasted. "Because next Wednesday, at Five PM, I'm going to dismantle The Boulder, and burn your precious Blind Bandit to cinders! It is I, Saff Fire who will win Earth Rumble Eight! Ahahaha!"

Mai found herself astounded by Katara. Just when she thought the girl couldn't get any lower she went and did this.

"Fire Lord," Katara sang, surprisingly well, the band playing Fire Nation Man's horrible theme. "My flame burns for thee! I shall smite thee, inferior enemy! Or perhaps juss, kick a kid cuz, it's really very fun! Fire Lord! My flame burns for thee!..."

Thankfully, the moment, like all others, eventually passed. The announcer told the crowds that the event was over, and asked Saff Fire to come to his office. Well that was Katara's problem. Mai was finally leaving.

"I wonder what he wants with us?" Katara asked.

"Us?"

The Hippo escorted Katara, and dragged Mai, to a small, surprisingly tidy room tucked inside one of the rocky walls of the stadium. The announcer, a shaven, stern-looking man with dead eyes, sat behind the single object in the room, a heavily lacquered wooden desk. He assessed the girls for a couple heartbeats, and shook Katara's hand. "I'm Xin Fu, and I think you've got what it takes to be a wrestler. I'd like to sign you to a ten-day contract with a one-year option." He slid a paper to Katara.

Mai didn't panic. Katara would turn him down. They both needed to find Zuko, and simply didn't have enough time for such pointless distraction. Katara wouldn't. She wouldn't.

"How much money would I get?" Katara asked, after staring at the sheet for a moment.

Mai wanted to put her foot down. She wanted to grab the paper and tear it to shreds. But years of training kept Mai's feet still and quieted her tongue. She acted as the perfect Fire Nation lady. She couldn't deny that as much as she hated Katara for putting her in such a situation; Mai's larger frustrations were directed at herself.

"All the details are contained in the contract," Xin Fu said, leaning back on a rock-chair, letting it melt to the contours of his body. "I think you'll be very pleased with what I'm offering."

"Hmm," Katara glanced down. "Yes, it's good, but I'm actually more interested in information on the Avatar. Any rumors on if he's moved on from Omashu and where he might go next." She pushed the contract back to Xin Fu.

Thank Agni.

Xin Fu shrugged. "I know nothing about The Avatar. I can't help you." He slid the contract back to Katara. "I'd still be willing to pay you gold."

"Maybe you don't have to," The Hippo interrupted. "I think the new guy has some information on the Avatar."

"Very well," said Xin Fu, taking out a quill. He made some scratches on the contract, and slid it back to Katara. Suspiciously quickly.

"Well?" Katara asked, holding up the paper. "Did he make the changes?"

"Read it yourself," Mai snapped. "I'm not your servant."

"C'mon Mai," Katara said, playfully, like it was all a joke. "Don't be like-"

Mai cut her off with a glare.

"Mai," Katara whispered. "Please. You know I can't…"

But Mai was not going to be moved. Katara had been a horrible partner from the start. She constantly fawned over father, she complained about the peppers Mai provided, she never made the food spicy enough, she ripped all of Mai's dresses when it was her turn to wash. She'd forced Mai to threaten villagers. She never paid at restaurants. And she'd dragged Mai to this stupid wrestling match. She even held the damn contract sideways, like some kind of illiterate savage who'd never been taught how to… Oh…

Mai took the contract and read it over. Two gold pieces for Earth Rumble Eight, and a stipulation that should the wrestler known as Sapphire Fire lose, the wrestler known as The Boulder would share all the relevant information pertaining to the Avatar's future whereabouts with them. On the whole the contract was fine, but there were some minor details which Mai didn't like. She motioned for the quill, and scratched out the portion for a one year option. After the next match they were done. Mai still thought it was two matches too many, but if it helped them find Zuko… That damned boy better be just as hot and charming as he had been before the exile.

Xin Fu took the contract, sighed, and signed it.

"Thanks," Katara said, once they'd gotten back to their hotel. "I'm sorry I made you go to that wrestling thing. I thought you were some snobby rich girl, but I was wrong."

She hadn't been. Even now, all Mai could think of was how terribly droll the hotel was. Only two lumpy beds and a chamberpot. No baths for washing, no ovens for cooking, no desks for writing, and no books for reading… Reading. Mai would do what she'd always done when she saw a problem. Ignore it and move on. Easy. Just like the last time she'd seen Ty Lee. She hadn't protested, she'd ignored it. Thus she was still alive. Only fools like Zuko did otherwise.

"I could teach you how to read you know," Mai said. What was she doing? Why? It was concerning that she didn't know the motive behind such a baffling decision. "You know, if you wanted." Katara probably had had plenty of offers. She'd been a good firebender, a great one if father was to be believed. And she was objectively a very beautiful, very confident young woman. Men must have been tripping over themselves to get to know her, so surely one of them had offered to teach her to read. Illiteracy must have been a choice, so Mai was just offering her a service she would turn down-

"Really?" Katara asked, hopping out of bed, eyes embarrassingly wet. "Do you really mean it?"

"Yeah," Mai mumbled, more profoundly uncomfortable than at any point during Earth Rumble. "It's not a big deal."

"What are you talking about? I could finally write home!" Katara grabbed Mai's hands and jumped up and down on the bed like an excited child on their birthday. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best friend I could ever ask for!"

Yet another lame moment in a night full of them, Mai reflected. But, although she would never publicly admit it, she knew that when she was old and withered she would remember this as one of the best days of her life.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:** Thanks for reading! Next time, in The First Firebender... _Red energy exploded from the walls, covering them all in a blinding bloody hue. And in a flash the lights faded, forming… Letters, words, a message?

Before I ascended, man lacked morals and chaos reigned. To change this, I tried to create a moral code. Religion. But afterwards, man's descendents grew strict and rigid. Baby girls drowned for my favor. I never intended this. Destroy me if you must, but only me. We will need the others. He grows stronger. I am sorry.

This was once told to a dear friend. Do you like it? Now come. Find me.


	8. Chapter 7: The Temple of Terror

For all the horror stories told about it, the Northern Air Temple looked like any ordinary wonder of the world. Spires that split the clouds, narrow winding roads across the mountaintop, and pristine Air Nomad masonry made up the temple. It was far more beautiful than scary and while it was totally crazy that man had built such a place it was clearly built by man. Not aliens. Not spirits. Just man.

Appa landed on a flat connected to the tallest tower, and Sokka slid to the ground and admired the view. Beautiful white-capped mountains dotted the top of the horizon. Sokka leaned over the edge of a cliff, sucked up some snot, and spat a loogey down to the clouds below. It reached terminal velocity quickly, was caught by an updraft, and came rushing back. Sokka jumped out of the way. "Nice try universe, but I'm not that easy!"

"Alright guys, let's go over the plan one more time," Teo said, clapping his hands. "We're going to go single file. Me first. Followed by Haru, Aang, then Sokka in the back."

The plan was solid, if underappreciated by the less logically inclined of the group. Sokka doubted that the so called evil spirits existed, but there was obviously something dangerous lurking in the temple. Poisonous gas? Bandits? A secret Fire Nation base? Whatever it was, the man taking point would be in the most danger. If the secret of the temple was bandits, it was likely they'd strike from the rear. Thus Teo put the two most disposable members of the team in the two most dangerous positions.

"When we explore a room me and Sokka check it out first. If we don't find anything, we'll call Haru in, and check over the room again. Then Aang enters and we can go deeper," Teo said.

Plenty of nonbenders had explored the Northern Air Temple. To them it was just a collection of old abandoned buildings. The spirits only attacked benders, and even then, only at night. Thus they would all investigate the temple during the day and get a feel for its layout. Sokka and Teo would continue exploring that night, and if they found nothing, they'd search the temple a third time with Haru. Only if all three attempts to find the mystery of the phoenix failed would Aang be allowed to join them. Cautious? Yes. Paranoid? Obviously. Sokka didn't even believe in any of the superstitious phoenix nonsense, but he was a rationalist and a pessimist, and he knew that the second he puffed out his chest the universe would send his own loogey back at-

"Aang what are you doing?" Teo cried. Aang had sprinted inside the temple, leaving Teo's carefully constructed plan in tatters. Aang hopped back to the temple entrance.

"What are you guys waiting for?" Aang asked, balancing upside down on a ball of wind. He flipped to his feet in a dizzying display of acrobatics. "That phoenix isn't going to find itself."

"What about the plan?" Teo asked. "We need to keep you safe. If the phoenix is real, and it-"

"Relax Teo," Aang said, strutting to the older boy like a peacock-rooster. "It'll never catch me. Besides, your way sounds boring. So slow! Where's your airbending spirit? Let's make it an adventure!"

Teo smiled. "You're right. The plan's garbage. Let's do this!" The two boys charged into the temple. Sokka and Haru shared a look, tightened their grips on their cherry bombs, and sprinted after their leader. They entered a long dark hallway, with bright rays of light shining in from rows of windows. There were no objects scattered about, no dust in the air, and no animals or insects scurrying below. The walls contained a mural of clouds, the colors still sharp, as if they'd been painted yesterday. At the hallway's end stood a heavy wooden door, covered in pipes and ornamental spirals.

"Let me handle this," Sokka said, pulling out a knife. He stabbed as hard as he could, burying the carved ivory into wood. He held his ear to the hilt, and heard the soft ringing of the ocean. He forced himself to wait for some disruptions: a knock, a thud, or any other rhythm almost too quiet to hear. He heard nothing. "Alright Haru. Open the doors. It's clear."

"Me?" Asked Haru, "What am I supposed to do?"

"You're an earthbender remember? Earthbend!"

"But-"

"You can do this Haru," Sokka said.

Haru bit his lip, and heaved his arms upwards, pulling some bricks off the ground. He lunged forward, pelting the door with projectiles. They bounced off it, leaving no damage but for some ugly imprints.

"Stop!" Aang snarled. "What are you doing? This place is sacred!"

"We need to get the door open," Sokka explained. "Haru keep trying. I think I heard something crack."

"I said stop!" Aang rammed Haru with a shoulder, knocking him to the ground. "What's wrong with you people? How would you like it if I went to your house, and started breaking everything!"

Sokka would simply patch the hole in the igloo with more snow, and move on. No big deal.

"We need to get the door open," Teo said. "I'm sorry it offends you Aang, but my ancestors abandoned this place. There's something evil inside. It's your duty as the Avatar to find it and exterminate it."

"You've forgotten our teachings Teo." Aang sniffed, walked to the door, and pointed to two pipe openings that looked like little airhorns. "You still have a lot to learn about the world. You're so obsessed with how it needs to change that you don't take the time to understand it. You can't force this temple open by attacking it with weapons and bending." Aang held out his arms, and channelled an air current into the piping. The wind whistled and howled. It grew stronger, until something deep within the wood clicked, and the doors slowly creaked open in the opposite direction that they'd been pushing. Darkness oozed from the room, slowly giving way to light. "You've got to work with it, and gently push it to your will. You can't kill a phoenix Teo. Never speak of murder so lightly! Peace and understanding are the ways of the Air Nomad!"

Bones littered the front of the room. It was hard to tell how many people had died here, as their skeletons had broken apart into fragments. Sokka picked up a perfectly preserved femur and a tiny ribcage that must've come from a rodent. They still seemed strong, the type of bone that could be whittled down into a spear. The femur was white and polished, with no sign of blood or damage, which shouldn't have been possible unless someone had cleaned it. Sokka got a sinking feeling. Aang wouldn't like it, but he had to know. "Don't freak out Aang. I'm doing this for a good reason."

Sokka snapped the femur in two, revealing it hollow. No bone marrow. There should've been something in there, mold, alcohol, anything. Matter didn't just go away. Matter couldn't be destroyed, only altered. At least that's what the old textbooks from the ship had said. Sokka looked over the bone for any holes, anyway the marrow could have escaped. He found nothing. "Guys, I think I've…"

Aang was staring at a chiseled stone statue. One of several. It was life-sized, and depicted a proud old man, hair tied in a bun, dressed in elegant Fire Nation silk. Some of the other statues were men, some women, some wore humble Air Nomad tunics, other Water Tribe furs. They all shared athletic builds that spoke of a lifetime of training in the bending arts, and the confidence that came from only the truly powerful. They also shared one other, small, insignificant detail. They had no eyes. Someone had scratched them out.

Hmm. The Fire Nation had probably been here. A sect that had a grudge against the Avatar. It would explain the childish vandalization of the statues, and the empty bones. What a bunch of freaks.

"Do any of you guys see anything?" Teo asked, circling the perimeter of the room, gliding his fingers across the bricks. "Something was here, but _It_ left. I'm not seeing any doors or anything. Unless I'm missing something; _It_ must be in another spire."

Haru nudged Sokka. "I don't like it here. This place gives me a bad feeling."

"Yeah," Sokka said, pulling out a spear. His mind was… There was something… He couldn't put a finger on it, but something wasn't quite right. It went deeper than the skeletons or the scratched out eyes, it was something else. An echo… No a whisper! Like knives in his ears! "Be prepared for an attack."

Teo heard him, tilted his head, and pulled out his… Little metal tube? Why not the knife or the cherry bombs? "It shoots fire," Teo said, nodding to the tube. "I call it a fire spitter."

"Eww," Sokka squealed. Teo handed him the new toy reluctantly, and Sokka turned it over, inspecting its compartments. A little hole on top to drop… Sokka pulled out one of the nitroglycerin bombs they made together, and compared the relative sizes. Didn't fit, and of course, where would the fire come from? The mechanism must've worked in some fundamentally different way, but then again, why should it? Sokka handed Teo the fire spitter, mind racing. _What if you took the same basic concept: an explosion in a small chamber, directed by a metal tube, and replaced the fire with a small projectile?_ Sokka's heart raced, and he whipped out a scroll. It was a map of the world, the only one he had, but right now its value paled in comparison to the idea he had in his head. It felt like he was channelling something else, something beyond himself, and he was simply the medium for its creation. He knew the connection wouldn't last long. He sketched an empty chamber, with a cherry bomb pushed and secured at the back end. Behind the chamber he sketched a hammer to set off the bomb, and below a magazine which would secure the… The little metal arrowheads. The lighter the better. The faster they moved the more deadly they would be. The chamber would have one permanent opening upon the drop of the hammer, a long metal tube to guide the arrow head in the direction the user wanted. He nodded and added little markers atop the end of the tube, to help the shooter aim. All right, that was the gist of it. His first invent-

Red energy exploded from the walls, covering them all in a blinding bloody hue. And in a flash the lights faded, forming… Letters, words, a message?

 _Before I ascended, man lacked morals and chaos reigned. To change this, I tried to create a moral code. Religion. But afterwards, man's descendents grew strict and rigid. Baby girls drowned for my favor. I never intended this. Destroy me if you must, but only me. We will need the others. He grows stronger. I am sorry._

 _This was once told to a dear friend. Do you like it? Now come. Find me._

"What?" Aang asked, suddenly pale. "What the fuck was that?"

Sokka blinked, he'd never heard Aang swear. It was a dumb question with an obvious answer. It was a message to Aang. From Bumi's phoenix. The spirit that couldn't be killed, the spirit that wanted to destroy the world. The spirit of evil. By the moon, he'd taken this to lightly. They weren't ready! He and Teo would be useless in a fight, Aang had no attack power, and Haru could barely earthbend. They needed to retreat, and come up with a better plan.

It was the most logical course of action. They hadn't come here for a confrontation. They'd only come for information. They'd gotten their information; it was time to go.

"There's a room below us," Haru said. "I can feel the absence of the earth."

"It's a riddle," Teo said. "There must be a trapdoor hidden somewhere. It must be underneath one of the statues. An Air Nomad most likely. They didn't accept girls into their ranks."

"We have to destroy it," Aang said slowly. "Whichever Avatar created this message has to be destroyed. That thing's waiting for us. Let's go kill it."

"It's why we're here," Haru said, shoulders set. "That thing doesn't stand a chance against me!"

"It took my mom from me," said Teo, a big smile spreading across his face like a bloodthirsty plague. "I wouldn't mind a little revenge."

Sokka's eyes widened. _It_ was here already, and more dangerous than he had ever considered. "Haru! Aang! LEAVE!"

They stared.

"NOW!" Sokka roared.

"Come on Sokka," Aang said, his smile stretching wider and wider, approaching slowly, carefully. "I know it's scary, but it's our job to-"

"If you're not out of here in the next three seconds, I'm pulling the stem." Sokka held out his cherry bomb. "One... Two... Thr-"

"Okay Sokka," said Haru, smile dimming just a little. "But we'll come back at the first sign of danger. We won't leave you."

The benders left.

Sokka exhaled.

The stories said that the monster in the Northern Air Temple stole a man's bending, and _wore their skins_. Aang was a pacifist. Haru was a coward. Teo was… Well he honestly didn't seem to affected, but the legends did say nonbenders had nothing to fear.

"Sokka?" Teo asked, hand on the holster of his fire spitter. "What _the fuck_ were you doing?"

"You don't feel _Him_?" Sokka asked. "Haru that confident? Aang talking about killing? He's already in all our minds. Distorting our thoughts. Corrupting our souls."

Teo narrowed his eyes, and pointed the fire spitter at Sokka. "You were the one threatening to blow us all up. You were the one who said you believed in science. Yet here you are justifying your actions through fear of the supernatural. If anyone's soul has been corrupted, it's yours."

Sokka tilted his head, as he looked over one Avatar statue after another. "You're wrong you know? You and Aang were wrong. You thought that riddle was about an airbender?" Sokka sneered. "You thought it was a confession? All I heard were excuses." He paused on an airbending Avatar, and inspected her stone dress. Soft and smooth, like one from the Earth Kingdom. He passed over a male waterbender, and moved on to an earthbender. A tall, stern woman bearing two fans. He glanced down the row, and as he suspected, all the preceding airbenders were men wearing modest tunics.

Teo continued to aim the fire spitter at Sokka, but inspected the last female airbender more closely. "Mom?"

"Um Teo, that's a statue of an Avatar who's been dead for hundreds of years."

"No shit," Teo said. "I'm talking about this." He pointed at the woman's feet, and Sokka noticed a little inscription carved in the stone. _Roll lick flip rat. Lap full road rest fun lock leap fill._ "That's my mom's handwriting."

Sokka scratched his head. Teo's mom must have gone mad, but that wasn't what was important. "If your mom's carvings are on the statue she obviously didn't destroy it, which makes sense, because the riddle isn't talking about an airbender." Sokka settled next to the last man in furs, before a long line of male airbenders in tunics. A proud tall man, wearing an easy going smile. He looked smug. Like Bato. "I know a tribesman when I hear him. He blamed the people before him for forcing him to create religion. He blamed the people after him for warping it. But he himself is blameless. Do you see?" Sokka caressed the man's face, and the statue slowly sunk. Its feet melted into the floor, its face dissolved into dust. "The confession was a lie. It wasn't a confession at all. It was an excuse."

A spiral staircase was revealed. They could walk down it, and go into the dungeons. Go farther into the monster's lair. But they should probably regroup now that they knew the phoenix was real. They'd already learned how it could affect people, and that was huge. A wise commander knew when to retreat. But the staircase had a pull on Sokka. He wanted to learn more about spirits, more about chi, and all that mystical nonsense he'd always thought was a load of bull-turkey.

The heavy wooden entrance to the Avatar Room groaned. Slowly, the large doors started to close, started to finalize their departure from the material world.

Sokka and Teo shared a glance. They could still escape if they ran for the exit. Or they could go down the staircase, and find the mysteries hidden in the dungeon. Natural light started to bleed from the room but it did not get darker. Red balls of energy ignited in the air, and pulsated around Sokka. He had the distinct feeling they were being watched.

The doors thudded to a close. Sokka stepped down the staircase. Teo followed.

* * *

"Keh-eh-illing," Katara read slowly, sounding out the letters. "Killing," she said proudly, astounded by her newfound mental prowess.

"Ceiling," Mai drawled over her shoulder.

"You're wrong," Katara smirked. "There's a 'c' in it. 'C' makes a 'kuh' sound. 'C' as in cat-dog right?"

"That's true in most cases," Mai said, and yawned. "But not when it's followed by an 'e'."

"I see," Katara said, glaring down at the 'c'. But actually she didn't 'c' at all. She hated the stupid little letter and all its stupid little rules. "Give me another word!"

"This is boring," Mai yawned, scribbled something down on the parchment, and flopping onto her bed.

"Tah-yah-lee," Katara read, and frowned. Tallee wasn't a word. "Tile?"

"Ty Lee," Mai said, with a hint of… something in her voice. Her pasty white cheeks were flushed, ahh, shy ole' Mai was embarrassed!

"That's one of your old friends from school right?" Katara asked neutrally. "Do you ever miss her?"

"She was my only friend from that place," Mai said blankly. "A mean girl, with very high status used to pick on her. Ty Lee was too naive to realize she was being… I tried to defend her. But eventually her secret got out, and I… I decided I couldn't protect her anymore. I gave up on my friend without even trying to save her. I don't feel like I deserve to miss her."

Katara understood Mai perfectly. She missed Sokka. She missed Gran-Gran. They'd always treated her like family, and she'd taken their love, their acceptance, and betrayed them. She'd joined their enemies and become everything that the tribe had claimed she would be. Her heart yearned to rejoin her family but her soul feared it. She understood, but she didn't feel like sharing. Not yet. "What was Ty Lee like?"

"Loud. Capricious. Annoying. Not at all like she is now; I miss her," Mai said, her back to Katara. "She's different now. Maybe you've met her. She's the Commander of the Chlorine Corps."

"No," Katara said. "But I've heard of her. She's like me right, another of Princess Azula's experiments? They were always held back though, never saw acti-"

"They have," Mai interrupted. "And you two are similar. Were similar. She always used to talk about home you know, just like you do. Her people. Her real people. She told me they'd run from a demon. It stalked, seduced, and stole the soul of every bender it could find. Then it wore their skin and blended into the group. It could be months, years, and a friend you'd known for a lifetime would go mad and kill everyone he could. And when you did what had to be done you'd find no blood underneath his skin, just a blank empty husk. And you'd know that your friend had died long ago, and you'd mistaken them for a demon. She told me that her people gave up their bending for the ability to see auras. But Ty Lee was different from her sisters. She had the old power, the one we thought we'd erased. She thought it made her _special_ ; other people thought so too. I didn't fight for her Katara. Her family was stripped of its wealth and lands, her sisters were sold off to marriage, and my best friend lost everything that made her, _her_. Everything except what made her _special_."

The parallels were obvious. Katara hated it. "I've been thinking of a new firebending technique," Katara said abruptly. "Something new. I thought of it the other day, when I was using the fire skin technique. Tell me what you think." Katara showed Mai the new firebending move she'd been working on.

"It's too slow." Mai threw a knife to demonstrate. It stuck in the inn's wall. "Unless you can make it move there's no point."

"But it's a good idea right?" Katara asked. "It's got a lot of promise?"

Mai scowled. "Yes…"

Katara pointed her nose at the ceiling. "It's only a matter of time until I surpass Azula."

"Katara," Mai said. "Don't be an idiot. You'll never beat the Princess."

Katara smiled. "We'll see."

* * *

Sokka was surrounded by darkness. The red lights had faded as the staircase ended, leaving Sokka in an empty, flat, void.

"Teo? You there?"

"I'm here Sokka."

Sokka let out a breath. He'd never heard true silence before. Never heard the deafening, ringing, roar of nothingness. He could hear it now, and it was unnerving. And impossible. If a room was so well insulated that it blocked out all outside noise, it should also reflect sound off the walls in an echo. But when Teo spoke, the noise died instantly.

Sokka kneeled, and brushed the ground. Flat, dry, and rough. Felt like bricks or cement. Normal stuff.

"Hey Sokka, come feel this," Teo said.

Sokka took a few steps forward, to meet the voice, and smacked into a wall. It budged. Sokka held out his hands and pushed, and the wall gave way. Until it didn't anymore, and could be moved no farther. Strange.

"This is a revolving-one-way door," Teo said softly. "My mom and dad used to build them together back before she disappeared. They only allow entrance from one direction and shut as soon as you go through them."

"Maybe there's another one," Sokka said uncomfortably. "Let's slide against the walls and search for another one. You go left, I go right."

"Gotcha."

Sokka pushed against the walls but felt nothing but bricks. Until he hit something. Another wall. He pinched the corner with a thumb; the two walls formed a perpendicular. This place wasn't a cave, which begged the question, why build any of this? Didn't make sense, Sokka thought, as he pushed against the wall. Why build a maze under a statue? Unless you wanted to keep something secret. Like the worship of an evil, but powerful spirit, which led to an obvious conclusion. Sokka and Teo should be sprinting up the stairs, away from all of this spiritual mumbo-jumbo, where up was down and left was right. And yet…

The wall slid from Sokka's touch. "Teo! Come here!"

Together they pushed the door, and it turned and turned until it turned no more. Everything was still dark, but Sokka was pretty sure they were somewhere new. Something snapped under his feet. There were some rocks on the ground, some long and skinny, some small and sharp, and others… That one was definitely a ribcage. These were bones.

"You go left, I go right?" Teo asked.

"Sure," Sokka said. He slid against the wall, and found nothing. "Where do you think the bones come from?" They hadn't been hunted, or they'd have been more damaged, so they must have come from dehydration or starvation.

"Explorers," Teo murmured softly. "My mom wouldn't have died here though. Not from a dead end. She's better than that."

Sokka shivered.

Teo found a door, which led to a room with more skeletons, and another door. Naturally they went through it, and found another room. No skeletons in this one.

"Same as always?" Teo asked. "Me right; you left?"

"Sounds good." Sokka slid against the walls, turned at the corner, and found another door.

"Got one!" Teo said.

"Me too," said Sokka. This wasn't good, but perhaps it was no worse than what they'd been doing before. It wasn't like they could go back the way they came. The only difference was that they had a choice. Left or right.

"My Gran-Gran used to tell me that if you got lost in a cave always turn left." There wasn't any difference which door they chose to go through. They had no information. If they sat and thought about it, they'd end up overthinking things, and get invested in a decision they had no control over. "Teo, let's go through my door… Teo?"

"Will you shut up?" Teo snapped. "I'm trying to think."

"What's there to think about? Just choose a damn door!"

"Do you know what shut up means?"

"You want us to go through your door? Fine!"

"That's _not_ what this is about. I'm just trying too… You know what, never mind!"

"What were you gonna say?" Sokka demanded.

"It's just… I don't remember much about my mom okay? She disappeared in here, and the last thing she wrote was… See, I told you, stupid!"

"Yeah it is," Sokka said brazenly. "I was hoping you were thinking of something useful. Like which door to choose, not about your _dead_ mother."

Sokka waited.

Silence roared.

Darkness shined.

"Do you remember which way we've gone?" Teo asked eagerly, childishly, without any of the venom Sokka expected.

"I do," Sokka said. He'd be a lousy hunter if he couldn't retrace his steps. "We went right after the staircase, left to the next room, and straight through to get here."

"Right, left, forward," Teo said, a smile hidden in his voice. "Roll, lick, flip, rat. Lap full road rest fun lock leap fill. I think we should go right, through my door."

"Finally," Sokka said, and they pushed through the door. Into another room. This one had skeletons. A door. And a staircase. They went down it, and descended, and descended, and descended.

Finally they were at the bottom. A new room. Still dark. But no longer empty. There was a great, big, stone… Something. Clearly a statue, but of what Sokka couldn't say. He couldn't tell much about it without any light, but it didn't feel human. Nor did it feel like an animal. If anything, it felt like an inverted stalacti-

Sokka snapped his neck. He'd thought he'd heard something. A scurrying sound, like a bug or a crab or… "Teo. That you?"

"Yeah," said Teo, and Sokka blew out a breath. "This place is huge. Wide open. I think we're in the caves under the mountain."

"No," said Sokka. "The ground is too flat and even. We're still walking on- Teo stop moving!" Nothing. Sokka must have imagined- No. Not twice. Something was in here. Watching. Waiting. Sokka took a breath. Then another. Okay… His fingers tightened around his boomerang. He could catch it in his sleep, so surely he could catch it in complete darkness. He tossed it at the last place he'd heard the sound. The ceiling.

 _It screamed._ A flash of fire lit the room, and _It_ dropped to the ground _Its_ arm smothered in blood. And then _It_ turned, giving Sokka a good look at _Its_ face.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for reading! Next Time in The First Firebender... Sokka couldn't stop them. He couldn't control his memories. His darkest fantasies, his deepest secrets, his strongest convictions were all viewed and shared without his consent. The battleship. A toy steamboat. Pride. Rejection. Failure. Katara gone. Anger. Rage. Isolation. Full moon. Iceberg. Splitting. Aang. Lies- No, his will, his will, Sokka still had control of his will. Without logic, without thought, he forged on.


	9. Chapter 8: Earth Rumble VIII

"Who is this Zuko you speak of?" Zuko asked, puffing out his chest. "I be the mighty pirate Zheng, dreaded from the Southern Water Tribe to Ba Sing Se!"

"Would you drop the act Prince Zuko?" The large sergeant asked. "Look it. The name's Chang." He held out his hand. "I'd like to thank you for saving my friend Jia."

Zuko stared at the hand. "You've mistaken me for someone else. I'm Zheng. I-"

Chang shook his hand. "It takes an honorable man to save an enemy as you did, Prince. But I cannot let the Fire Nation into my city."

And the old soldier strolled back through the gates, leaving Zuko staring once again at the impenetrable walls of Omashu.

* * *

The, the _thing_ was… _It_ wasn't… _It_ wasn't _right_. _It_ wasn't _acceptable._ _Its_ eyes were shiny, reflective, and compound, _Its_ face covered in white fur, and _Its_ legs were… _Its_ legs were human. Then _Its_ features blurred, coalesced, rippled, and slithered into the soft face of a beautiful gray-eyed woman. _Its_ body was now entirely human, but if anything _It_ was even worse, even more disturbing, because no matter what form _It_ chose, Sokka could find no soul behind _Its_ eyes. Intelligence certainly, but no consciousness. This was nature given will, a violation against the universe, and the most powerful form of bending Sokka had ever seen: Life Bending. _It_ raised a hand, and gently called Sokka forth. His legs moved on their own, against his will, against the command of his very soul, and Sokka found himself bowing before _It._

 _It_ placed a cold hand on Sokka's head, and covered him in soft flames that seeped through his skin, and ignited his soul. A fire exploded from Sokka's palm. It was a miracle. He was firebending.

No.

No!

NO!

Sokka wasn't one of those horrible, disgraceful, selfish human beings who called themselves benders. He would never ever be a self-absorbed piece of shit like his father! _It_ was simply firebending through him. Nothing more. Sokka would forever and always be a nonbender. He broke from whatever trance that little chimera abomination had held over him, and took a long look at his prey. Its arm still bled from where he'd smashed It with his boomerang. If he could make It bleed he could make It die.

"Teo," Sokka said sharply. "Give me your firespitter."

The chimera tilted Its head, and raised a finger, wiggling it back and forth as if to say come here. But, to Sokka at least, Its form was rippling once again, Its skin starting to melt like wax.

Teo stumbled towards the abomination, his eyes betraying madness and desperation.

"Mother? Mother is that really you? It's me! Teo! I'm here to rescue you!"

It continued to melt and various eyes opened throughout Its body as if they were bursting pimples. The irises contracted, focusing on Sokka with their deep emptiness.

"Everyone told me I was mad. They told me you'd be dead. But here you are Mother, alive and well!" Teo giggled like a child. "Isn't that right Mother? Mother? Mother, come back," Teo pawed at the abomination as It slithered towards Sokka. "Come back! Tell me what you need, and I'll give it to you." He fell to the ground, crying. "Do you need my soul? You can have it. Take it!"

Although Its body now resembled a slug-toad, It kept Its face unchanged. Then It flickered, and lunged. Sokka stuck It with his spear, and sidestepped out of the way. The Thing writhed and coiled and continued to bleed. There. Not so hard. Definitely easier than killing a polar wolf-bear. Sokka tightened his grip on his spear, and stalked forward to end the hunt.

And was slammed to the ground. Teo straddled him, and slammed a fist into his eye. His head bounced off the ground, and Sokka felt his brain jiggle, but it wasn't so bad, not really, he'd needed to get close anywa- Teo punched him again.

And again.

And again.

Until Sokka knocked him off.

"How dare you," Teo said, his face contorted and twisted by madness and insanity but still distinctly human. "How dare you hurt Mother!"

Sokka pointed the firespitter he'd just stolen at It and pulled the trigger. A good old-fashioned flame- consistent with the natural laws of physics and chemistry- erupted from Teo's invention, and burned _It_ alive.

"No," Teo screamed, running to the abomination, desperately trying to smother the flickering red flames with his cloak. "Mother! You can't die! You can't leave us! _Not again_!"

The fire had lit the room well, and it had an eerie beauty. It was circular, with two statues on both ends, one in darkness and one in light. Opposing forces. Yin and- holy shit, the walls were dripping inky shadows. Containing red eyes. What the fuck! Why the fuck had he thought it would be a good fuckin' idea to come down to this fuckin' crazy cult fuckin' temple, with all these evil fuckin' whatevers?

"You killed Mother!" Teo seethed in place, as the shadows crawled closer, the abomination still burning. "I'll never forgive you!"

Yeah.

Sokka was done here.

He ran. Sprinted. Up the spiral staircase. To the maze. Now he understood where the skeletons had come from. Fools who'd had their skins stolen. Fools who'd taken a wrong turn. He had to go through all the rooms in the correct order, and-he-had-to-do-it-right…

He took a breath. Then another. He felt the shadows behind him, he knew evil penetrated his mind, but he needed to be beyond that. If he were a bender like Aang or his sister perhaps he could survive through magic and destiny, but he was just Sokka. An insignificant nothing to the universe, an easily disposable side character. The only weapon he had was logic. He'd need to use it it or he'd become an evil puppet like Teo's mother… Teo's mother had left directions. What were they?

The door was made of an aged, polished, wood. It even had a little- Why-was-it-visible?

Teo's mother, Teo's mother, what were the words, what were the words? Think, think, think! And then they came to him, conveniently appearing in his memory: Lap full road rest fun lock leap fill. He pushed the door open, red eyes on his heel, turned left, and pushed his way through another door. Forward. Right. Right... Sokka panted heavily, and forced open another heavy door. His lungs burned, his skin tingled, and his heart hammered. Left… Sokka dug down deep, put his head down, and heaved his way through another door. One more, one more, then he'd take a quick-

Something pinched his right hand. Just slightly. He barely felt it. And yet his skin had been punctured. Blood leaked. The world started to… Memories flashed. Him and Katara, a quick stream of fire, horror, a flash of water. The secret. Shared between them. Chief Bato. The tribe...

Sokka couldn't stop them. He couldn't control his memories. His darkest fantasies, his deepest secrets, his strongest convictions were all viewed and shared without his consent. The battleship. A toy steamboat. Pride. Rejection. Failure. Katara gone. Anger. Rage. Isolation. Full moon. Iceberg. Splitting. Aang. Lies- No, his will, his will, Sokka still had control of his will. Without logic, without thought, he forged on.

He pushed open another door and ran like his very soul depended on it.

* * *

Stars and a purple striped sky above them, the beautiful Northern Air Temple below them, his Avatar quest before him, tonight was gonna be a great night. Aang just knew it.

"... And earthbending is the element of will… Aang are you listening?"

Aang always loved being in the sky, but just this once he wished he was on the ground. Exploring the Temple, discovering its mysteries, going on an adventure. He was an air bender to his core, and the essence of airbending was so much more than the bending itself: air was the element of freedom.

"This is how you bend a rock!"

Aang bobbed around what must've been a bird or something. It was strange, back in Kyoshi Island a nice group of girls had followed him around. It had been because he'd been the Avatar. He'd had his fans among the Air Nomads too, but he'd always found it annoying to be fawned over by boys and monks, and yet… And yet when a group of cute girls thought he was awesome it was just amazing! Why the difference?

"Aang please… It was your idea to learn earthbending! If you pay attention for five minutes we can take a ten minute break!"

Ah well… perhaps he'd never know. The world was still mysterious to Aang. He just had to keep his eyes and ears open and there was no telling what he could learn!

"I left my home for you Aang! I left my father after I'd just met him, I left my mother before I could say goodbye, all to teach you just a bit of earthbending!"

He shouldn't have let Sokka boss him out of the fun part of the adventure. Now he was stuck out here with Haru just killing time. Boring! "What do you think was wrong with Sokka? Why do you think he went coo-coo in there?"

Haru sighed. "To protect us. You were in there. You must have felt It pressing on your mind."

He'd felt… Something… They'd all been drawn to go deeper inside and meet the being's calling. "I'm the Avatar though, I don't need to be protected!"

"You'd be just as helpless as the rest of us," Haru said. "Right now you're just an airbender."

Then Aang remembered. He'd asked Haru to teach him to earthbend, but then well… There'd been a lot of stuttering and back tracking and Aang had gotten confused and stopped listening. Aang didn't want to be mean, but it didn't seem like Haru knew what he was doing. "Sorry Master," Aang said confidently, wiggling his ears. "I'm ready now. Teach away!"

Haru chuckled weakly. "Right. So earthbending is the element of…" Haru trailed off, and muttered under his breath, "Am I doing this right? What does it even matter? Maybe later? No basics first, but what if…"

"Can you teach me how to bend a rock," Aang suggested.

"Right here's a stone," Haru said, handing Aang a pebble. "Now bend it!"

"Um," Aang said, twirling the stone between his fingers. "How?"

Haru blushed. "So um… You reach out, with us, your um… Senses? And you just kind of make it move? Does that make sense?"

Aang scratched his head. No it didn't, but Haru looked like he was about to cry. "I think I get it." He tossed the stone in the air, it was picked up by the wind, and pelted Appa's tail. His big buddy shook his head, and glared back at his two passengers.

Aang tried a few more times, but was never even close to being successful. "Maybe I don't get it as well as I thought," Aang said. "Can you explain it to me again?"

"Um it's like I said earlier," said Haru. "Wait what did I say earlier? Um, move the stone- Uh, let's just start over okay?"

"Sure!" said Aang.

"So first you try and, um, feel the stone. With, uh, your senses… That's not really helpful is it? It's kind of like you hear the stone, but also not like that at all. You know when you choke on food, and realize you can feel way deeper in your throat than you thought you could? The rock is like that only it's outside you, and you can't really feel it."

Aang rubbed the rock between his fingers. It felt dry and coarse, like a rock. "I'm definitely feeling the rock pretty good. I still don't get how to bend it though. Why don't you show me, and explain what you're doing as you do it?"

"Right," Haru brightened. He held a pebble between his fingers, and narrowed his eyes. "First you… You get a… A feel for the rock… Alright, I'm having a tough time trying to talk while I do it, so let me just show you and then describe what I'm doing afterwards?"

"Okay Master," said Aang.

Haru held the pebble between his fingers, giving it a solid deathglare that eight out of six Avatars would rate as very intimidating (Or something like that, numbers were more Sokka's thing), let go of the pebble and watched it fly into the wind- Was that supposed to happen? It kinda looked like he'd just dropped it. Was Aang missing the earthbending? Was this some kind of weird out there lesson on life? Apparently not. Haru held out another pebble, but the same thing happened: when he let go it was carried away by the wind.

"Dammit!" Haru swore, crying. "Why am I even here? Who are we trying to fool Aang? I don't belong here! I'm not good enough to teach you earthbending, I'm not brave like Sokka, and I'm not smart like Teo. I'm just holding you all back!"

"Sure," Aang said. "Maybe you are. It's no problem. Keep on practicing your earthbending, get better and better, and the next time you teach me you'll do a lot better."

"Easy for you to say," Haru said. "You're the Avatar, and every Avatar is a bending prodigy. I've been trying to earthbend since I was a kid, and I can still barely do it!"

"So we'll find you an earthbending master," Aang said cheerfully. "And we'll learn how to earthbend together. Besides, if you leave I'll be the only bender!" Aang put an arm around Haru's shoulder, and whispered urgently. "Sokka has already started threatening me with math lessons, and Teo has brought up thermometer-dynamisms or something like three times! You can't leave me with those two!"

"Thanks Aang," Haru said sheepishly. "You're right. I am what I am. I just have to get better. It's as simple as that."

Aang creased his eyebrows. Haru still didn't get it. Aang wanted Haru to be on the team because he liked Haru. It didn't matter that he wasn't the best bender. "There is more to a relationship than how useful the two people are to each other," Aang said. "I don't see you as a tool Haru. I see you as a fri-"

A flash of light exploded halfway down a spire. "That must be Sokka!" Haru said. "We've gotta go find him."

He was right. But this… He'd have to talk with Haru later. Aang took Appa's reins and guided his buddy towards the explosion. There was a little ledge on the spire, and a figure waved at them, jumping up and down.

"Where's Sokka?" Aang asked, jumping onto the ledge. He searched the masonry for a door, but couldn't find one. How had Teo even gotten here?

"If you're looking for a door you won't find one. I lost _Them_ for a bit, and I was able to glide down over here." Teo wiped his eyes, and stared at his feet. "Me and Sokka got seperated and I… We've got to go Aang. We awakened something when we entered there, and I… I think it's gonna leave the Temple now that it knows the Avatar is near. It's only a matter of time before it finds us, and you're not gonna be able to face it."

"What about Sokka?" Haru asked. "He's still inside! We've got to go save him!"

"We can't," Teo said. "We go inside we lose the Avatar for sure! The Dark Phoenix is more powerful than I thought. We're not ready!"

"Sokka wouldn't leave us!" Haru shouted. "When I got captured by the Fire Nation he tried to save me!"

"That was the…" Teo took a deep breath, and calmed himself. "Sokka would tell us to leave. He'd tell us that we can't risk the tribe for one man. It's a hard decision Avatar, but it's one a wise leader must make. We've got to go. We can't risk the entire world for a single savage who is already dead."

"Aang you're not seriously-"

"When I say the entire world I mean the entire world. What I saw in there…" Teo shuttered. " _It_ was pure evil, and _It_ could steal a person's soul. Everything from their personality to their bending. If _It_ gets the power of the Avatar nobody is gonna be able to stop _It_."

"That's enough," Aang said. "Everyone get on Appa. I've made my decision."

* * *

"You haven't heard of me?" Zuko asked the soldier, Jia, incredulously. "I'm Kun, the greatest merchant in Gaoling!"

"That so?" Asked the short portly soldier named Chao. "I've never heard of you, and if you were someone so famous _I'd_ know you, after all, I am called _Chao the Knowledgeable_."

"Oh?" asked Jia. "Who calls you that?"

"The people," Chao insisted stubbornly. "You know how I know the people Jia. You're just out of touch with the common folk."

"What do you sell, mister uh…" The sergeant Chang trailed off.

"Kun," Zuko said smoothly. "I sell all matters of products. But for now, I'm just here to find a place to-"

"So you're a merchant?" Asked Chao with a smile. "Then sell me this quill."

Zuko took the quill, and stared at it for a moment. It was frayed on the edges and half out of ink. It seemed usable though, if nothing special. He actually kind of liked Chao. The soldier was hungry to prove himself. "Why are you carrying this around soldier? Who are you trying to fool? You can't use it."

"I can," Chao frowned. "You're only saying that because I'm short! If I were a few inches taller I'd be rich and famous and you'd be speaking with a little more respect. Also women would-"

"He's also saying that because you're ugly," Jia said helpfully. "And why _are_ you carrying a quill Chao? Are you using it to try and pick up women, because I know a girl with a um… Great personality who is in the market for a boyfriend."

"I know how to write," Chao spluttered. "I'm smart, I'm handsome, and gee-whiz people like me!"

"Prove it then," said Zuko. "Buy this quill and write your name. Show us just how smart you are Whiz-Kid."

Chang and Jia laughed, and the Whiz-Kid blushed and handed Zuko a few coppers. He signed his name on the ground.

"There, see?" Asked the Whiz-Kid proudly. "Cee-aich-eye-oh. Chao. Maybe I should've written a bit more. My true name is afterall _Chao the Handso_ -"

"That's not how you spell your name," Chang said sadly. "You should've told me you were illiterate. I'd have been more than happy to teach you." Chang shook his head. "That's not how you spell Whiz-Kid at all."

"My name isn't Whiz-Kid," said the Whiz-Kid. "It's Chao! Chao! Believe it!"

"Are you feeling alright Whiz?" Asked Jia. "If you've forgotten your name we might have to send you to the doctors."

"Argh," scowled the Whiz-Kid. "Look what you've done Zuko! Now I'm gonna be stuck with this stupid name forever."

For some reason, despite being turned away from Omashu again, Zuko was in a good mood when he got back to the ship. "How are the kids Captain?" Zuko asked.

"Are you feeling alright Prince?" Asked the Captain.

"Feelin' fine," Zuko said, whistling to a jaunty tune. He danced back to his private quarters to find what costume he'd be using next. He shook his head when he saw it: Uncle had really outdone himself this time. "The guys are gonna love this one."

He was right.

"What's your name young lady?" Asked the Jia.

"Maiko," said Zuko in his most feminine voice. It was a perfect cover, simply perfect. See what he'd done was combine the name of both himself and the girl he'd had a crush on before he'd been… The name was genius, a perfect cover, the boys would never see through it and he'd finally get his chance to capture the Avatar.

He was decked from head to toe in a long flowing dress, and wore a beautiful black wig with long silky hair.

"Impossible," the Whiz-Kid spluttered.

Zuko frowned. For all the shit everyone gave him the Whiz-Kid was the smartest of the guards. Was there a hole in his perfect cover?

"See girl names always end with an 'ah' sound," the Whiz-Kid said proudly. "Think about it, you've got Princess Azula, the notorious firebender Katara, and my sister Terra. A man's name will always end with the more masculine 'oh' sound. You've got Prince Zuko, and even Chao the Masculine."

Zuko nodded. His name did end with an 'oh', and his sister's name did end with an 'ah'. It was quite simply flawless logic. Blast, his cover was blown. A smile touched his lips.

"So that leads us to one inevitable conclusion," said the Whiz-Kid, wiggling his finger in the air for emphasis. Zuko gulped, it looked like the jig was up. "Jia must've been a girl all along."

"No," Jia grumbled. "Are you still angry about the nickname? Get over it Whiz-Kid."

"It's alright Jia," said sergeant Chang kindly. "Omashu is a progressive city. We accept females into the military. You don't have to hide who you are."

Jia grumbled angrily.

"Zuko, loan Jia your dress will you," the Sergeant said. "You won't need it. The Avatar has moved on from Omashu. Rumor has it that he's headed to Senlin Village."

"Thank you sir," Zuko said, feeling strangely… Disappointed? Why was he disappointed? Senlin Village was small and unprotected, he'd finally get his shot at the Avatar. Then he'd head home and get to see all his family and friends. Well, maybe not all of them… "I'll miss you guys." As soon as he said it he knew it was true.

"No need to thank me," Sergeant Chang said in a low rumble. "Just strip."

* * *

Sokka cowered behind one of the Avatar Statues. He'd made it through the maze somehow, but he'd heard… He'd heard…

Footsteps. He'd heard them just behind him the entire way. Always following.

"Come out friend," said a terrible something, using… Using… _Using Sokka's voice_. "You've nothing to fear. We're not going to hurt you."

Sokka felt something leak from him. Other than his blood. Other than his memories. Other than his soul. Urine. He was pissing his pants. The other hunters would have had a field day. They'd have never let him live it down. Sokka the Coward they'd call him. Sokka the Spineless they'd taunt. Sokka the Boy they'd tease. But at least he wouldn't be Sokka, Hakoda's son, a chip off the ole' block.

" _He's_ quite interested in you now. _He_ already has a partner, but unlike the… _Other_ , _Father_ must always be on the lookout for replacements," said the abomination, using Sokka's voice. "I won't take you. So stop hiding behind the _Avatar_ and come. Join us."

Sokka hid.

The room lit up, and a fire blast decimated one of the Avatar statues. "Ahh. If only it were Aang, don't you think Sokka? We've always hated the Avatar. It's so rare to find a human who rejects _Father's_ gifts." The abomination smiled, and whipped a statue to jagged pieces with a string of water.

It was bending water. It had already bent fire. Only the Avatar could bend multiple elements. The Avatar, and this… Sokka realized something more important. This Thing, perhaps it was taking his soul from his wound. Perhaps if-

"Fine." Sokka could hear the smile in the imitation's voice. "Hide. Die. I'll eat your memories and join your friends. I'll act just like you, I'll think I am you, but I will always carryout _Father's_ will. It is better this way. I can use your face to bring about the Avatar's demise. Besides, there are other replacements. Others who have the right… Mentality to host _Father_. Like perhaps your dear little sister _Katara_."

Sokka twitched. He searched his belt for his knife. There! His fingers tightened around its hilt.

" _Father's_ always watched over her," said the abomination, Its footsteps creeping closer and closer. "Ever since she was born. _He's_ guided her on her journey, and they've grown closer and closer. Everything she does, she does for _Him_."

It stopped as Sokka choked down screams, and he could hear the pleasure in Its voice at It delivered Its last line.

"Even leaving you."

* * *

The Hippo's eyes went wide and funny, like a bug that realized it was about to be crushed beneath Saff's heel. And even though she knew she was supposed to take a dive, that she had to if she wanted to find Zuko and learn lightning bending, she found that it simply wasn't in her nature. No, all her thoughts screamed one thing: Kill, kill, kill!

The Hippo flailed and sent a boulder her way, muscles straining, the attack laughably telegraphed. Saff scooted around it, took a whistling breath, and bent herself a fire-whip. She uncoiled it, and cast it like a fishing line. Oh that brought back memories, but she'd only caught something a few times, and certainly not- Saff grinned savagely- something as large and juicy as this. "Its a big one on the line," she laughed. Her whip tangled around one of The Hippo's fat ankles. The fat man screamed and flailed like a... like a big ole' fish. This was perfect! "He's fighting hard, but I think I'll be able to reel him in!" She made a show of coiling up her whip, bringing The Hippo closer and closer to his doom. She ignited her left hand, and The Hippo scratched and clawed at the ground, trying to break free from her fiery clutches.

She leapt aside, narrowly dodging a big hunk of granite, that exploded in the front row of the stony stands.

"This wasn't the deal," The Boulder growled quietly, helping up The Hippo. "You're the villain of this production. Your job is to lose."

"Hmm," said Saff. "You're the one with information on The Avatar right?"

"Yes," said The Boulder, eyes softening. "I don't care about the war. Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, it makes no difference to me who wins. I just want to be a star so I can send money back to my village. Please, I need this to work. I need you to play your part and lose. If you do, I'll be more than happy to tell you where the Avatar will be heading next."

Saff inspected a perfectly… Um pedicured, was that the word? Fingernail, and answered with an arrogant drawl. "You hear that? The Boulder is begging me for mercy! He'll tell me where the Avatar is if I move on peacefully."

It was almost like the crowd was a single person. A weak, contemptible, and stupid single person. Katara could hear the boos come down on her like heavy snow, could feel the pulsating hatred of thousands of Earth Kingdom citizens, and sense their complete and utter rejection of everything Katara represented. And of Katara herself. For the first time though, Katara didn't mind the isolation, because right now she wasn't Katara, she was Saff Fire: The most powerful firebender in the Western region of the North Shore of the Southern Isle's Easternmost Island. All her life Katara had looked for love, companionship, and above all acceptance for who she was. But those were worthless traits to Saff Fire, who'd grown up in a Fire Nation family proud to have a firebender in the family. Saff Fire only wanted three things from people: fear, respect, and submission.

"But see, I'm not going to do that." Saff drawled. "I don't accept surrender. If he knows where the Avatar is I'll just torture the information out of him." Saff giggled. "Let me do all you losers a big favor! I'm sure you've all wondered what happens when an earthbender meets a firebender in combat. I'll show you why the Earth Kingdom is losing the war."

"That wasn't the deal!" Xin Fu stepped into the rink. "Nobody takes me for a fool!"

Saff Fire grinned, and bent all the fire in the stadium- every torch and every candle- into a single giant bonfire. It was now the only source of light in the stadium. Saff stepped into it, and felt the fire mold and curl around her skin forming a protective armor that would burn any who dared lay a finger on her. Her old move had a flaw though, one that had been exploited in her fight with King Bumi: it offered her no protection against physical attacks. But she'd fixed that.

Out of the fire walked three Saffs. One was real. The others were perfect clones. Bending the fire into the right shape had been easy, when shrouded in her fire armor she looked like one big flame, it was making the clones copy her movement that was hard. The Boulder hefted a big boulder at one of the Saffs. The wrong one. Not needing to counter or dodge, Saff was free to tag the muscle man with a fireball. He went down in a heap. Easy.

Her clones held up a finger for the crowd. One down.

"Fire Nation Man, Gopher, Gekko, get down here," Xin Fu ordered. Three men burrowed out onto the arena. One was fat, the other two were wiry, but there looks didn't matter. Saff was gonna cook 'em all. "Nobody messes with-"

Saff shut the carnival barker up with a fireball, and held up two fingers for the crowd. One of the wiry men burrowed into the ground, and another leapt into the air, hopping from floating stone to floating stone. Towards the wrong Saff Fire. She found the fat man levitating the stones and smoked him with her fire whip. The Gekko landed near a fire clone, and performed an extraordinary flipping jumpy kick thing, pummeling her fiery creation with his foot. Of course her clone had no mass, and he only succeeded in badly burning himself, but it was a very good effort nonetheless. Another man screamed behind her. The one who'd burrowed himself underground had tried to grab one of her clones. He was done. Which left only The Hippo. She held up five fingers for the crowd. Just one left.

Saff pulled her fire copies back to her, and let them surround her, caress her skin, and bud off her, creating two new clones. The three Saffs fanned out and surrounded The Hippo. Then they started to advance, drawing closer and closer and closer to the wounded man. The Hippo's attention darted from one clone to the next, trying to find the real Saff underneath the heavy shroud. Eventually he shrugged, and ripped a huge chunk of granite from the arena's stone floor. Then he howled and collapsed, hands on the red, blistery burn around his ankle which Saff had given him earlier. "People think that torture is all about pain, but it's not. Effective torture requires fear. I've got to find some way for The Boulder to take my threats seriously. But how can I do that?" Saff let the fire die around her fingers, and used them to gently point the Hippo's chin towards her face. "I could kill you, but…" She grabbed his ear and hauled them both towards The Boulders fallen form. "Get up. I know you're faking. Now tell me where the Avatar is, or your friend is gonna-" Saff ducked under a chunk of rock that whistled above her.

"I don't know what your problem is Lemon Cake, but you can't go around hurting people because you've got an inferiority complex from being kicked out of the Fire Nation Army," said a short little blind girl, dressed in an expensive silk dress.

"I wasn't kicked out of the army," Katara spluttered. Wait a second. She had been hadn't she? But she certainly didn't have an inferiority… Well she wasn't hurting people just to help boost her own eg… "Lemon Cake? My name isn't Lemon Cake. That's completely ridiculous!"

"Isn't it though?" The blind girl smirked. "I thought it was a lot better than your stupid nick-"

"Besides," Katara interrupted. "I've only done this once. You've been beating up on these thugs for years. If anyone's got an outsized ego it's you, little miss "I'm the greatest earthbender in the entire world!""

"It ain't bragging if you can back it up!" The blind girl smirked. "You ready to get rocked my bitter little-"

Katara shot a fireball at the blind girl. The Bandit stomped on the ground, and a huge clay tile flew into the air, deflecting the blast. The blind girl scratched the bottom of the floating tile, and flung three dirt bullets at Katara. She skirted around two of 'em, but the third one clipped her side.

Katara spun to the ground and hacked and coughed and lost control of her breathing. Her fires extinguished immediately drenching the stadium in darkness. The dirt beside her groaned and creaked and grew into huge vertical pillars. They formed a hallway, and Katara had no doubt that she would find the little blind girl smirking on the other end. Her battle instincts roared, and she ducked under a boulder that would've taken her head off.

"Ready to surrender little Lemon Cake?" The blind girl chirped.

Katara answered with a flickering fire blast that swept against the ground like a sheet of water. The blind girl leapt over the strike, wedging herself into one of the two vertical rock walls, her arms burying into it as if the wall were made of water instead of solid granite.

Katara blasted the girl with fire, but the blind girl crawled around each blast like an insect. And as soon as Katara took a few breaths, the blind girl countered with a hail of rocks. Katara danced back and forth, wriggling around each strike, but just barely, constricted by the hallways. It was frustrating. If Katara was fully healthy, if broken ribs weren't pressing on inflamed lungs, she could simply blast all the blind girl's little attacks down with overwhelming power. But no. Here she was being forced to dance around attacks like an amateur. She knew the fight was getting away from her, and if she didn't do something drastic she was bound to lose.

She'd heard about it from soldiers. Separate yin from yang in the body, while spinning the arms in near symmetrical motion, and finally releasing and directing the cold energy to a single point. Control and precision were what was most important, and students drilled the motion and bending of each separate step for years under the watchful eye of a Master. A single mistake could be fatal, or just as easily damage someone so badly that any bending in the future would be impossible. But of course, Mai had helped teach Katara to read using a lightning bending scroll so she was like totally prepared.

Katara began the long windup of a lightning strike. First she took a deep breath, then she split her arms and separated… Two energies? What in the moon did that mean? There was only one fire in her belly, and fire didn't have any yin or yang, it was just fire. Fricking Fire Nation voodoo, magic, bull-

A rock took her in the stomach, and molded itself around her. Dirt sprayed up around her, hardening and collecting near her sides, weighing her down until she couldn't move her arms or legs. She was trapped, restrained, and- no she wasn't defeated yet. There had to be a way out, she couldn't possibly lose her second fight in a row. She just had to think, find some missing path to victory-

 _Open your eyes Katara._

She sighed. She'd lost. Again.

Slowly, very slowly, one torch was lit. Then another. Until light returned, and the whole stadium could see Katara imprisoned by heavy rocks, completely defanged. They cheered their overrated Blind Bandit, booed Katara, and now dared to throw food and rocks down at her.

"Bandit, bandit, bandit!" They chanted.

The Blind Bandit raised her arms, and a slight smile turned into the cockiest smirk Katara had ever seen. The Bandit must've known that this battle had been different. This time she'd actually fought for real. This time she'd defended her home. And despite herself, Katara couldn't help but share in the other girl's euphoria, at least a little.

Well. It was probably time to beg for her life.

"I was at half strength, but a win is a win," Katara said graciously. "Congratulations on beating the most powerful firebender in the Western region of the North Shore of the Southern Isle's Easternmost Island."

"Half strength?" The blind girl asked, digging her index finger around inside her nostril. "What do you mean by that?"

"I cracked my ribs in another fight, so I could barely generate any flames today," Katara whispered. "If I was at full power I'd have beaten you easily."

The blind girl inspected a wet green booger. Then she shrugged, and wiped it on… Eww, eww, eww- she did not just do that! The booger was- it was- Katara blew desperately on her cheek, but the booger's stickiness kept it stubbornly latched. Oh my god! Gross, gross, gross!

GROSS!

So gross. The Blind Bandit must've found Xin Fu, because the man's voice boomed across the stadium, "Congratulations Blind Bandit, it appears you've won again. How many times in a row is this?"

"Five," the Bandit replied with an obnoxious drawl. "Each time it gets a little easier. When will you find some real fighters who can maybe, you know, provide a bit of a _challenge_? Don't get me wrong I appreciate the effort this time- even though she was a total _pushover_ \- the new girl was at least different. Who was she? It was kinda refreshing fighting a firebender."

"She was the nefarious Saff-"

"I'm asking for her real name Xin Fu."

"What do you mean?" Xin Fu asked incredulously. "That is her real- My god, oh goodness no, it appears that the nefarious Sapphire has broken free!"

Huh? Katara found herself falling through an unseen hole in the ground. She dropped straight into Xin Fu's office where she was hugged by a huge hulking wrestler.

"That was one helluva performance Saff," The Hippo said proudly. "You're quite the natural act-ore. Have you considered a career in the thee-awe-tur?"

"Easy Hippo," said Fire Nation Man, sipping on a tiny cup of tea, pinky fully extended. "Don't scare the poor girl."

"Maybe you could learn a thing or two about playing the heel," said the Gekko. "Eh Fire Nation Man? You've been going to far down the comedic route my good man, and while I can see what you're aiming for, I can't help but suspect that the audience wants good old fashioned storytelling: with an antagonist who provides legitimate threat."

The Fire Nation Man chortled politely as he sipped on his tea. "Nonsense my good man. The modern audience wants wish-fulfillment. This is why they so enjoy the Blind Bandit and her never-ending stream of flawless victories. She is an utterly perfect blank face on which they can project themselves onto. Today's antagonist must be entertaining, but should not scare the audience overly much and whose primary purpose is to highlight the hero's superiority."

"Aw yes," said the Gopher, pouring Gekko a cup of tea. "My good man, you're right that the antagonist must highlight the hero's superiority, but I do believe that your argument does not land where you intend. The antagonist has _always_ been meant to highlight the hero's superiority. But the antagonist must be in a position of power, so that the hero's victory proves their moral or ideological superior-"

Katara cleared her throat, and rubber her fingers together.

"Xin Fu is pleased with your marvelous work." The Boulder grinned, and handed her her gold. "The Avatar's chivalry will demand he investigate Senlin Village. I do believe he'll be going there quite soon indeed. I am utterly confident in this proclamation, but I must ask: are you so convinced that you must leave so soon? I speak for everyone when we say that we'd love to welcome you aboard this merry ship."

For a moment she was tempted. It was fun acting like Saff Fire, and the actors seemed welcoming and kind. All she'd ever wanted was to be accepted. To have a home like everyone else. But in the end she could not. Her destiny was to take her bending as far as she could. Simple maybe, but Katara had let bending dictate every choice she'd made since she was fourteen, and things had turned out alright so far. So she would leave and improve her bending, fight the strongest opponents in the world and someday… Well, she wasn't really sure. She didn't have a plan for after fighting.

As she neared the door, Katara found that she couldn't help herself. "You've all got it wrong. If you don't have villains you don't have heroes. A villain's job is to force an ordinary person to become the hero they were always meant to be."

* * *

Light burst out from underneath the heavy doors to the Avatar room. Within a few moments someone was banging on the wall. Teo had told them that even if they found Sokka, he'd probably be a puppet of the phoenix. Aang knew if that was the case he'd be able to tell right away. He could tell the difference between a friend and a monster.

"Aang? Haru?" Sokka called. "Anybody? Somebody help! They're coming!"

Aang bent two currents into the air horns on the doors, and waited as the air traveled slowly through the winding pipes, as the locks and levers and mechanisms meticulously clicked into place, and the door crawled open.

Red-eyed shadows poured from the eyes of the Avatar statues, covering the floor, and rapidly morphing into… Aang didn't wait to find out, blasting them with his strongest airbending. The wind tore the statues from the ground, and slammed them through the spires walls, but did nothing to the demon shadows. Actually it made them grow faster, into terrible soulless airbenders with no spirit. Something was just _wrong_ about them. Aang bent another strong gust at them, trying to make them just go away, but those _Things_ opened their mouths, and sucked the magic right out of the sky. Bending wasn't working. It wasn't working!

 _Bending wasn't working!_

Aang grabbed Sokka around the waist and ran to Appa. His buddy waited for him to get onto his saddle, and then charged away. Why wasn't his airbending working? Was that why Appa wasn't flying? And where were- The demon shadows, still in the stolen skins of airbenders, chased them on gliders. Appa ran faster, charged out of the temple, across the landing strip, and jumped off the side of the mountain. Aang became weightless as he hurdled to the ground, just trying to keep a hold of Appa. And then in a lurch, they were flying again and Aang had his bending back.

Aang trembled. The demon shadows had followed them into the sky. They never should've come here. He wasn't ready for this. And deep down, Aang knew he never would be.

"See," said Teo, pointing at the _Them_. "They look human on the outside. They steal people's faces and wear them as their own. That _Thing_ on Appa isn't Sokka. And they're using _It_ to track us."

But He- It? Looked like Sokka. Like, exactly the same. Except with no right hand, and no boomerang. Aang couldn't imagine Sokka ever abandoning one of his precious tools…

"Didn't he seem different once we got into the Temple?" Teo asked. "He yelled at you two, he started making accusations that we were being possessed." Teo looked down and played with his fingers, a sad smile touching his lips. "I think that one of those _Things_ had already burrowed into his mind. We explored, but as we went deeper he started acting strange. He started talking about his sister. How much he missed her. And when we got to the bottom of the temple, one of those things took her face. That was what finished him off. I can't say I blame him, if it had been focused on me and not Sokka, it would've showed me my mother's face which would have…" Teo stopped, and glanced at the demons chasing them. He frowned and shook his head. "I tried to kill the _Thing_ , I thought it might break him out of his trance, but Sokka attacked me. I knew he was done for, and after I'd finished the monster off Sokka vowed vengeance on me for killing his sister. I ran, but I think… I think the Sokka we used to know died as soon as we went into that temple. I'm sorry Aang."

It didn't sound possible. But here they were being chased by evil shadows who now looked exactly like airbenders.

"Sokka," Aang said, shaking his friend. "Wake up!"

Sokka's eyes blinked opened. They looked duller than normal, flat and reflective. But Sokka in general looked in bad shape, his skin was sallow, he had a black eye, and his hand was… His right hand was missing. He'd wrapped the stump in furs. "Aang? That you buddy?"

"Sokka, Teo says you attacked him in the dungeon? He says you've been possessed. Crazy right?" Aang laughed nervously.

Sokka stared at the stars. "We're moving pretty fast aren't we Aang? Are we being chased?"

"Tell me he's wrong Sokka," Aang said, trying not to sound like he was pleading. "Tell me he's wrong and I'll believe you."

"Bring us down," Sokka said. "I can get us out of this."

"Don't listen to him," Teo barked. "That's not Sokka! He's trying to get us killed!"

Why wouldn't he deny it? If he'd just deny it Aang would believe him! Sokka just shrugged. "He might be right. It's not like I'd know if I were one of _Them_."

Appa flew down, and Sokka slid off the side of the saddle. "Everyone give me your cherry bombs. These _Things_ seem to like me, and they're vulnerable to conventional weaponry. Teo says he killed the Thing down there, and I… I remember… Everything is fuzzy, but I do seem to remember one of _Them_ getting speared." Sokka's breathing was heavy and wheezing, and his legs were wobbling like they were about to fall over. "You guys ride Appa away. Don't fly. They're attracted to bending."

One of the creatures howled from above. Spotting them.

"Guys," Sokka said, standing tall. "Make sure you find my sister. Her name is Katara and she's a fire-"

"No!" Haru said, jumping off Appa. He hauled Sokka back into the saddle. "Maybe they'll come to you maybe they won't. We have to be sure! We need a bender to act as bait, and it can't be Aang! This is my destiny. Right here. Right now."

Everyone stared at Haru. He'd been so mild, so polite, so unconfident. But right now, for once, he seemed so sure of himself.

Teo was the first to hand him his cherry bombs. "It's a good plan," he said weakly.

"I know," said Haru.

And as the non-living creatures screamed above them, Sokka handed his bombs over as well. "You've got balls man. Thanks Haru."

Haru nodded.

Aang was last. And one thought rang through his head as he handed death to a friend: _**Thank goodness it isn't me**_. Aang looked away. "I'll find you in the spirit world." Haru's rough hands snatched his honor from him.

"Avatar?" Haru asked, fear back in his voice for the first time. "Do you know what happens to us after we die?"

"I think that-" Appa galloped away, cutting off the rest of Aang's response. He began to shake. He was a coward. A coward. He'd tried so hard to overcome it, but here he was, letting people die for him. It was in the moment right now, he could still turn back, they could try and fight those horrible _Things_ together. Haru didn't have to- Who was he kidding? He was to afraid to even turn around and watch. He couldn't even smile and give reassurance to the man who was dying for him. Maybe he was chasing after them, maybe every man was a coward, perhaps Sokka and Teo were just as- They were both facing the opposite direction, staring back at Haru.

Aang was a coward.

He heard the explosion. He saw the pigeon-gulls fly from the trees. But he didn't honor Haru's sacrifice properly. He didn't even see it.

Sokka rested a hand on his shoulder. "We've got to stop that _Thing_. We can't stop trying."

"Then we have to go to Senlin Village," said Teo. "And don't think I trust you now. I know you're not actually Sokka."

"And I don't think you're actually-"

"Stop," whispered Aang. "Please. Just stop. We're gonna go to Senlin Village and we're gonna act like a family. No more accusations from either of you."

The funny thing was that Aang didn't want to go to Senlin Village. He was through with the Phoenix. It was a demon for the next Avatar. He desperately wanted to go to the North Pole and just do some good, familiar waterbending. Learn something new, play with the locals, just have fun. But he'd finally found something that truly horrified him.

Maybe one of _Them_ had stolen Sokka's soul, maybe _They_ had taken Teo's. Aang would go to Senlin Village because he was afraid that maybe those monsters _hadn't_ replaced his friends with soulless demons. He was terrified that the two of them were honest, brave, men who would discover the only truth that he was sure of.

Aang was the only fraud here.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for reading! Next time in The First Firebender: "Huh," said Sokka, scratching his head. "I never thought that spirits existed. But I guess…"

"I know what you mean," said Teo. "Mo- I was always told that spirits were holy creatures. Proud and more magnificent than I could possibly imagine. I never expected them to do something like this."

Aang couldn't believe it either.


	10. Chapter 9: Legacy

"You must help us Avatar," said the Leader of Senlin Village, his voice tinged with pain like an Air Nomad elder who'd eaten spoiled elderberry pie. "The spirits they just… The children…"

A young woman started to cry, clutching her baby daughter desperately. "The spirits… I don't know what we can do anymore…"

Yeah… Senlin Village was unlike anything Aang had seen before… Not because- It was kinda ordinary, in an Earth Kingdom type of way. Square and stony, with tiny little cube- ugh, Sokka's lessons were starting to stick- shaped houses with slanted shingled roofs to help funnel stormwater into sewage canals. It must've rained a lot in this town, which was consistent with the many trees and architecture… The science lessons had to stop! Like soon. His thoughts were starting to feel more sciency than air nomady which Aang didn't like at all.

"Huh," said Sokka, scratching his head. "I never thought that spirits existed. But I guess…"

"I know what you mean," said Teo. "Mo- I was always told that spirits were holy creatures. Proud and more magnificent than I could possibly imagine. I never expected them to do something like this."

Aang couldn't believe it either.

"The spirits they're just," the Leader shook his head, and wiped a tear out of his eye. "They're just a bunch of lazy, good-for-nothing, freeloaders!"

A wandering frog- um- frog? It was just a frog? What the heck? The frog stopped hopping and stared at the Leader with black oval pupils.

"You heard me you damn spirit!" The Leader said, taking a step back. "You lot don't pay any taxes! You don't man the defenses against the Fire Nation. All you do is eat!"

The frog croaked, and two other frog- frogs joined beside it, ribbeting at the Leader.

"Well, I guess you are kinda cute," said the Leader, voice softening, petting the frog's head. "Aww, cute little froggy! You're just trying to take care of your family aren'tchya little froggy?"

The frog croaked and nodded.

"Not another one," the young mother cried. "Village Leader, you can't keep taking in these spirits. We can't feed them all!"

"But look at him," the Leader said, sticking the um, just-a-frog in the mother's face. "How can you just turn away such a precious little amphibian?"

"I'm not a cruel woman Avatar," the mother said, cradling her toddler in her arms. "I'm not worried about these frogs. But our Leader never turns away a spirit, and if we get another panda-"

"So you're saying we must turn Hei Bei away," the Leader spluttered. "You know he's a special case!"

The woman left with her child, muttering something about free handouts and bleeding hearts.

The Leader turned to Aang and straightened his beard. "Let me show you Hei Bei. I think once you see him you'll understand what you must do."

It was true. Aang knew as soon as he saw the big panda spirit that he'd have too… Hei Bei's fur was falling off, leaving exposed skin with boiling pink blisters. The spirit was wheezing, its back rising and falling from the effort it took to take a single whistling breath. The giant panda leaned against the side of the stable, and stared at Aang with bloodshot eyes. There was pain there, inside the spirit's mind. Agony. Suffering beyond comprehension.

It was… Aang walked towards the panda slowly, each step measured, each step soft. It didn't notice him, not even when he was right next to it, not even when he ran his hand through its coarse dry hair. It came out in clumps, and Hei Bei's skin peeled off with it. The exposed wound started to bleed, but the giant panda did nothing, it just continued to breathe. It continued to stare and see nothing. The monks had taught him that life was sacred. Right now it felt like a curse. A shackle. Aang looked inwards, looked for some third option, but he saw nothing, he felt nothing, being the Avatar didn't give him power over life and death. There was only one final solution. But Aang couldn't. Wouldn't. Even when he knew it was the only way.

"Father," Teo muttered under his breath. He walked next to the panda, pulled a vial from a pocket, and forced it into the panda's mouth. Its eyes flattened, and the spirit's breathing became less heavy. Then he slid his knife across its neck. Aang watched as the life left the giant panda, blood pooling on the floor, staining his sandals red. Finally the panda moved no more.

Air Nomads refused to eat meat. Killing was wrong, or at least that's what Aang had been taught all his life. But he wasn't angry with Teo. Not in the slightest. It had been an act of mercy. One that the Avatar should have given, but Aang had refused too.

Sokka nodded. "Two birds. One stone. Now you have enough meat to feed-"

"No," said Teo. "The meat is poisoned. This is Father's work. He must be stopped Avatar. You must kill him."

The Leader's eyes narrowed. "Your Father's work?"

Teo grimaced. Shrugged. And sighed. "The Chemist."

"The Chemist," said the Leader skeptically. "You can't be serious."

"I am," said Teo. "Father is a monster Aang. He's worse than the Fire Lord or the Dark Phoenix. This stuff that he's doing, it's what drove my mom to-" He stopped and looked around, then at his hands. His eyebrows knitted together.

The Leader shook his head. "No, no, no. The Chemist is one of two good things that the Fire Nation has ever produced. A savior right up there with The Phoenix Ki-"

"You're wrong," Teo exploded. "Dad's a bad guy! Once mom stopped working with _Him_ , _He_ focused on dad, and dad wasn't strong enough! And then dad got... And then mom left? Mom? Huh?" Teo wandered away, muttering to himself, and poking at his skin.

"Interesting," said Sokka, leaning against a peeling wooden post. "Aang, be sure to ask Teo what his mother was researching before she started poking around the Northern Air Temple. If it got _His_ attention it must've been something crazy."

Aang frowned. It was obvious wasn't it? This wasn't fun, Sokka was supposed to be the pessimistic one. "I'm not, uh, sure that that's Teo Sokka. It might be… He never told me how he got out, and I always kinda suspected that he was one of… You know..."

Sokka chuckled. "They don't attack nonbenders remember?"

"They were attacking you. We found you at the entrance. But how did Teo get out?"

"It's good that you're cautious. But," Sokka shrugged, and said carelessly. "You know what, maybe you're right. Keep an eye out on Teo."

Something wasn't right. Why wasn't Sokka more suspicious of Teo? Aang was missing something, a piece of the puzzle, hidden away somewhere. Maybe if he thought back on that night he'd find the missing clue, but Aang couldn't. Wouldn't. His failures, all the words he hadn't said, what if he could've found a way to save Haru? Or what if they hadn't gone there at all? It was his fault. His fault. All his fault!

"Hey little guy," said Sokka, grabbing a little monkey- monkey spirit? Like the one that had given birth to the Air Nomads? Well, at least according to the monks, but the creation had always been a part of their teachings that Aang had struggled with. "Think you can lead us to whoever did this to you?"

The monkey spirit hesitated.

"That boy over there, the one with the big ears and giant arrow, he's the Avatar. He can get rid of whoever is doing this to you. You just have to show him the way. Is that okay?"

The monkey hopped over to Aang, and crawled up his back, peered at his arrow and shrugged. It shimmied around, and wiggled Aang's ginormous ears. It gasped, leapt to the ground, and pointed Aang to the South side of town.

Aang and Sokka followed the monkey's direction, but the monkey jumped in front of Sokka, and held out its palms. It wiggled its ears, pointed at Aang, and nodded. Then it folded its ear, pointed at Sokka, and crossed its arms. Its intentions were clear. Only the Avatar would be allowed to venture into the spirit world.

The monkey hobbled through the forest, at a deliberate pace. Aang followed, but well...

The forest was, well, a forest. It was… Foresty. Maybe not a lot of animals, yeah, that was something special about it, it didn't have many animals. It did have trees though, like any other forest. The weren't special or anything, just typical pine trees. Not a lot of underbrush, it was easy to walk around in. When would they get to the spirit world?

How long had they been walking? It only felt like it had been an hour or so, and he'd entered the forest around noon, but it was already starting to get dark. The bark on the trees was getting that reddish hue that everything got near sunset. Maybe this was part of entering the spirit world? Entering a trance like state, and losing track of time? That seemed spiritual enough to be reasonable. Maybe Aang just needed to lose himself in the monotony of walking. He let his mind start to wander and the sun continued to set. The world got darker. Until he could barely see the monkey in front of him. Until he couldn't see the trees.

"Are we there yet?" Aang asked the monkey.

No reply. Just emptiness. And the distinct feeling of being watched. Just like in the Northern Air Temple.

Oh no. Oh no. No, no, no, no. But maybe it meant something else. Maybe he was wrong. Aang walked forward, praying he hit a tree. But he didn't, he couldn't even feel the ground he was walking on. He couldn't hear his own footsteps. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't see. He couldn't smell. He couldn't feel.

The spirit world was empty.

Those _Things_ from the spirit world had claimed the Dark Phoenix as a father. They'd been horrible, able to take away his bending. But this threat, this Dark Phoenix, had destroyed the spirit world. Erased it from existence.

No, not yet, there must still be some spirits left in the spirit world. It hadn't quite dissolved the spirit world to nothingness. But It would soon, and then It was… They were next. And Bumi had said… He'd said that only the Avatar could stop the Dark Phoenix, and if he failed that… That he wouldn't be remembered. That everyone- Fire Nation, Water Tribe, and Earth Kingdom- was going to die.

Aang started to shake. He'd thought… This wasn't fair! None of the other Avatars had faced this! Why him? He'd thought that the Fire Nation was a lot to deal with, but this Dark Phoenix- no other Avatar had had to face anything close to as threatening! He didn't even know how he'd fight this thing. All Aang had was his bending, and that wasn't enough! It wasn't nearly enough! Aang slammed a gust of wind into the void, putting all his frustration into the bending. What good would any of the bending arts do against something that could destroy worlds? Even a fully realized Avatar, even Avatar Roku at the height of his powers, wouldn't stand a chance against the Phoenix!

"Avatar," said a voice so smooth it sent shivers across Aang's neck. "Old friend. It's been a long time."

Aang was still on edge. Nothingness had been worse, but this spirit was, well it just felt malevolent. Its gait, a cross between a scuttle and a slither, coiled around and around.

"I've always hated you Avatar, ever since you tried to slay me, but I must admit that I hate _Him_ more."

"Who is _Him_?" Aang asked. "A corrupted spirit? A phoenix?"

"I cannot answer that question Avatar," said the smooth voice. "I do not know where _Father_ came from. I only know that _He_ watches and listens. Always… And _He_ whispers."

"Did He do this?"

"Do what?" Aang had the distinct impression that the spirit was scowling. "Destroy everything? Of course not. All _He_ did was make bending possible in the spirit world. You humans did the rest."

"Oh. How?"

"With _that_ bending art. The most _horrible_ , the most _deadly_ , the creation _Father_ always favored the most," the voice hissed, growing quieter with every word. " _Airbending_."

Huh? Aang couldn't hide his surprise. "That's impossible. Airbending is-"

"Yes, yes, I forgot," the voice purred. "You humans have such short memories. You're all so stupid. You made a religion Avatar, to try and neutralize the most dangerous type of bending, do you remember? You call them Air Nomads now, correct? Yes, _Father_ was oh so upset when you humans tried to rid yourselves of those vile creatures. They were always _His_ favorites. _He_ loved them so dearly. Them and Fire. _He_ only ever tolerated Water and Earth."

Well um… What was he doing? None of these questions mattered. In fact, there was really only one question Aang needed to ask.

"How do I kill _Him?_ "

"It is simple," said the smooth voice. "There is only one way to kill _Father_ : Destroy the universe."

"Um, I kinda like the universe though."

"I quite agree Avatar. But that is the only way to kill _Father_."

"How do I stop him then?"

"That is a question I do not know."

"Do you know who does?"

"Yes."

"Who?" Aang asked desperately.

The spirit laughed. It was a cruel sound, without humor or warmth. "You."

Red lights exploded everywhere.

" _He_ is too powerful now. Only you, Avatar, can stop him. You must enter the Avatar State, but _He_ is blocking your chakras. During the Winter Solstice you must enter Avatar Roku's Temple on Crescent Island. There you will find the answers you seek."

Jagged cracks appeared everywhere on the centipede's carapace. "It appears my time is over. Perhaps it is for the best. An empty world, one where I cannot show people my collection, is utterly worthless." The spirit's human face looked almost wistful as it exploded into nothingness.

Laughter burst from the air, the world flashed red, and the forest returned.

"Looks like you missed one silly, let me get that for ya," said a girl cheerfully. She had gray eyes, a long ponytail, a big blue arrow on her forehead, and was the prettiest thing Aang had ever seen. A burst of green swept past Aang, and surrounded the monkey spirit. It fell to the ground dead. "Are you one of mine or Aida's? Oh what am I saying? You've got arrows and you're not wearing a gas mask!"

The girl doinked herself on the head, and stuck out her tongue. "Ya look kinda spooked kid. Don't worry, you'll get over it eventually."

"You did this?" Aang asked. "You killed all the spirits?"

"I'll tell Azula you helped." said the pretty girl, sticking out her big chest proudly. "I know she seems scary at first, but really she's the prettiest, smartest girl in the whole entire world! So don't stress. It'll ruin your complexion."

"How'd you do it?"

"Don't be silly, um," the girl frowned and scratched her head. "Man... You got the same training as me, you're just a little fresh is all. But I love fresh boys. I remember how hard you went through your air bending sets, you really impressed me!"

"How many more of you are there?"

The girl scowled. "There's only one of me! None of my sisters know how to airbend! I'm special!"

"There are no airbenders," Aang said stiffly. "The Fire Nation wiped them all out."

The girl brightened. "That's true. I was the first airbender since the start of the war to earn an arrow. Pretty impressive huh?"

"No," Aang said. "You may be able to airbend but you're no airbender. Not if you're using it to kill."

"Don't be silly." The girl giggled. "You may have an arrow too, but don't think we're alike. I'm the most powerful bender in the whole entire world and you're just a dumb little kid."

Aang took out his glider, and used it to blow a giant gust at the girl. He was just trying to knock her off her feet, slap a little sense into her.

She laughed, and chopped the wind in half. And Aang's glider. With air bending? How? Green clouds formed around her fists. "You shouldn't have attacked me kid. Now I'm gonna have to kill ya. No hard feelings?"

"Airbending is a pacifist-" Aang hacked as green gas surrounded his face and jammed itself down his throat, filling his lungs. It burned! His insides burned. His lungs, he could feel them burning! Boiling! Melting! He tried to bend the poisonous air outside of himself, but it held in place like glue. His bending was being overpowered. Tears formed in his eyes. It was so hot it hurt so much! Make it stop Monk Gyatso! Please just make it stop. His insides, his throat, his guts, his lungs it all burned. It all hurt. More than anything he'd ever experienced. Existence was to painful. He needed to escape. Anyway possible. He needed death. Death.

Aang wanted to die.

 _My partner. Aang. Live._

Aang blew, expelling the green gas out. He bent several gusts, smashing and destroying the gas from existence.

"You're pretty good," the girl clapped. "And you're cute. Maybe I'll ask Azula if I can keep you as a pet. What do you say boy? Are ya ready to give up?"

Aang hacked and coughed but his lungs weren't getting any better. Was this his punishment for running, for being such a fraud? It seemed impossible but if this was what airbenders had become- a bunch of marauding murderers- perhaps it would have been better if the Fire Nation had simply wiped them all out. How would the true Air Nomads feel if they knew their descendents had betrayed everything they believed in? "Are all airbenders like you now?" His voice came out raspy and weak.

"Of course not," said the girl giddily, flipping into a handstand. "I'm Ty Lee. Captain of the Chlorine Corps. There's never been an airbender like me!"

"You're right." Aang said, each word scratching against his throat like a metal grater. "You're powerful. The most powerful airbender I've ever known. More powerful than Monk Gyatso."

Ty Lee hopped to her feet. "More powerful than Gyatso huh? How would you know? He's a legend but he died over a hundred years ago."

Aang waited for the girl to connect the dots.

"That must mean…" Ty Lee wrinkled her eyebrows, and flipped into another handstand. "You're an immortal monk." She burst into a giant upside down grin. "And you're telling me I'm the greatest airbender of all time? Really? I knew it! Oh, Azula is going to be so pleased!"

"Ty Lee, have you been taught where humans come from?" Aang asked.

"Of course," the girl said cheerfully. "We came from a monkey spirit. All Air Nomads know that. Easy-peesy."

The monkey spirit looked pretty similar alive as it did dead. At least physically. But life had left its body. It was static now. Its brown fur no longer rose and fell and its dark pupils no longer expanded and contracted. It was no longer a spirit now, it was just a thing. Like a rock, a puddle, or a gust of wind. That feeling Aang got- it didn't matter that this spirit may have given birth to humanity- all that mattered was that all life was sacred. Believing that killing was an evil act was the central tenant to being an Air Nomad.

Ty Lee flipped back to her feet and frowned. "I killed it cuz I'm a soldier. I do as I'm ordered. You should too. I know this looks bad, I know your parents probably raised you to be a pacifist okay? I'm not stupid! But how much of our teachings are left anyways? We were always supposed to follow the Avatar right? He was supposed to be our spiritual guide, our protector, but you know what? He's gone kid. It's up to us now, to decide how we want to live. And if we live the way our ancestors did we'll end up just like them."

"You don't have to live like that," Aang said. His lungs felt like they were coated in stone. Each breath hurt, and he wasn't sure… He wasn't sure if his organs were okay or not, whether he was ever going to get better. "I can protect you."

Ty Lee raised an eyebrow, walked towards him, and swept his legs. Aang fell to the ground and crumpled in a heap. He couldn't get up. It had been a challenge to stand. Aang felt like he was dying.

Tiny green clouds formed around Ty Lee's fists. Perhaps this was for the best. Aang was in over his head, a fraud and a coward, perhaps if he died soon enough it would give the next Avatar time to deal with all this.

"Get away from the Avatar Ty Lee!"

Teo had covered his head in a strange mask. It covered his eyes in a thin layer of glass, and had giant cylinders around his mouth. He pointed his fire spitter at the girl.

"Teo?" Ty Lee hopped away from Aang. "This is the Avatar? Is that what you've been doing? Fantastic! Now I don't have to kill you!"

Teo said nothing. He walked towards Aang and offered him a few pills. Aang stared into the cold gray eyes of the older boy, but they were covered in a mask and he couldn't parse out any emotion any tell. Take the pills or not? What if they were poison? What if they were something worse? Teo hadn't given Aang many reasons to trust him, but he'd sure given him a bushel of reasons to suspect him.

Aang swallowed them anyways. When it came down to it, he was just the kinda guy who trusted in people. The pills didn't really taste like anything though, maybe ash?

Teo pulled off his mask, revealing a sadistic smile that stretched from ear to ear. "Gotcha."

"With what?" Ty Lee asked, jumping on the balls of her feet. "He was already dying. What did you give him Teo? Some kind of super poison? Some drug that'll make him a slave to the Fire Nation?"

"You'll see." Teo smirked. "I'm not a bender like you Ty Lee. I had to pretend to be this little twerps friend. A few words about being an air nomad and he bought it hook, line, and sinker. He really is stupid."

Aang stared at the trees blankly. Another failure. Well… What he had to do was escape, then go to Avatar Roku's Temple, which was only in the center of the Fire Nation, all by the winter solstice. That gave him about, um, three days. Easy, easy.

He'd made mistakes. He'd been too trusting. He'd been bold when he should've been cautious and cautious when he should've been bold. Well it didn't matter. Not anymore. He needed to find a way to escape. The rest would just have to find a way to take care of itself.

"Oh, but he seemed so nice," Ty Lee cooed, as she followed after Teo. "Did you really have to be so mean to him? What have you been doing with the Avatar anyways? What's he like? Isn't he supposed to be, like, our savior and everything? Don't you think it's, you know, kinda bad karma to be talking about the Avatar like that?"

"How's Father?" Teo said gruffly. "Did he miss me?"

"Your aura seems awfully gray Teo, why are you so down? We captured the Avatar! You should smile! You look cute when you smile!"

"What about _that_ Project? You know the one, I'm sure. Has he made any progress with that?"

Ty Lee shook her head. "I dunno. You know how dangerous that stuff is. He won't let me anywhere near it."

Teo trembled. "Yeah, I should've known. He had me working on it day and night. Even though that stuff is poisonous. Even though he knew it was killing me. But he couldn't have his precious little girl exposed to such toxic materials."

"It's because I'm an airbender," Ty Lee said cheerfully, twirling in the air. If she'd noticed Teo's sour mood she didn't give any indication. "What is it you're doing anyways? Always in that lab, with all that water and all those metals, just what are you building?"

"When The Project is done _He_ won't need you anymore. He'll toss you away, like all the rest."

"Don't be silly Teo, your dad would never do-"

"Just like he did with Zuko."

"Oh, you're talking about _Him_ …" For the first time Ty Lee seemed a little worried. "Well… I'm too valuable right now. What could possibly be more dangerous than me?"

"Ty Lee, do you know what gravity is?"

"Of course," said Ty Lee, hopping up a tree. "I laugh at gravity everyday."

Aang almost smiled despite himself. The girl was so close, but in the end she was an inversion of an airbender. But the more he saw of her, the more he realized that she could be saved. She had an airbender's spirit, but she'd been taught the wrong things. All the wrong things.

"Then you laugh at an illusion. There's no such thing as gravity, only distortions in the space-time continuum."

Umm, what? Thought Aang.

"Umm, what?" Asked Ty Lee. "What does that have to do with my question?"

"Light," said Teo. "When I realized light was the key to solving the mystery of gravity I also realized that light was the key to this project." He scribbled something on the ground. An equation. "Come down and see."

Ty Lee glided down from the top branches of a pine tree and inspected the scribbles in the dirt. "Ee equals em cee squared? What the dust devil does that mean?"

Teo threw Aang to the ground, put on his gas mask, and tackled the girl. Pillars of dirt erupted from all sides, and a platoon of earth benders emerged from their hiding spots in the forest. Ty Lee was buried up to her neck, but Teo still approached cautiously.

"What's this about Teo?" Ty Lee asked with a slight frown. "Are you with them?"

"The Avatar has returned Ty Lee," Teo said, spitting out the words quickly. "I always knew I'd leave someday, and then I learned that the Avatar, the spiritual leader of the Air Nomads, had returned. What better sign would I get? And… I finished mom's work… The Project… I know how to end the world. Father is evil Ty Lee, don't you understand? After mom left, he just… He… You understand, right Ty Lee? I didn't have a choice!"

Ty Lee was the one buried in the ground, Ty Lee was the one surrounded on all sides by enemies, and Teo was the one wearing a mask which could presumably neutralize Ty Lee's most dangerous attacks. So why was Teo trembling? Why was he talking in squeaks? Why were the earthbenders cowering?

"So," Ty Lee said crossly. "You've joined the bad guys. That makes you a bad guy."

"What?" Teo said desperately. "I'm not a bad guy. C'mon Ty Lee, we grew up together. I know you can see that what you're doing is wrong. You're killing a bunch of cute little frogs for Avatar's sake! Look at the cute little amphibian Ty Lee!"

Teo held up a um, just-a-frog, with its odd oval eyes, and strange green skin. It croaked in a not at all cute way.

"Hmm," Ty Lee said. "Well I guess… I guess you seem really set on this huh Teo? I'm like, so sorry then, but I'm gonna have to kill ya. No hard feelings 'kay?"

Green clouds appeared in front of her lips and she blew. The poison gas swept across the forest floor like a flood.

"Avatar! Get rid of it before it kills the earthbenders."

And Aang realized his lungs no longer hurt. The pills Teo gave him must have been an antidote. He'd actually… By trusting Teo… By trusting his friend he'd actually done something right!

Aang pushed the green gas aside with an updraft, where it floated harmlessly into the sky. Ty Lee was still stuck in the ground, but she had her cheeks bunched up like she was concentrating hard. Better not wait and find out what she was planning. Aang leapt at the girl, his half-glider fully extend.

Teo tackled him to the ground, a jet stream narrowly passed over them, and punched a hole into the trunk of a tree. It cracked, snapped, and fell in a big whoosh. The platoon of earthbenders threw giant boulders at the girl, but she blew them apart with sharp blasts of air. But she was still stuck in the ground. She had no way to get out. Eventually she'd tire and then they'd be able to-

One of Ty Lee's gusts found its mark, and the earth bender's stomach was torn apart, exploding in a spray of blood, guts, and bone. Then another gust found its mark, and another, and another. And another. The earthbenders broke formation. They turned tail, and ran like frightened mouse-rabbits, disappearing into the forest.

"Here," Teo said, giving Aang a knife. "She's too dangerous. She's done horrible things and she's shown no remorse. She's a monster now, and the only thing to do is put her down. Slice her throat. It's your duty as the Avatar." Speech done the tall boy eagerly sprinted away, leaving Aang all alone with the most powerful bender on the planet.

…The second most actually. Right after Aang himself. He'd seen her moves, he'd survived them, and his friends had done what they could for him.

It was his time now.

Aang leapt over a destructive razor slice of air, and hung in the sky like a sitting duck-rabbit. Ty Lee tracked him, and sent a second jet his way. But Aang was too fast, too quick, and too agile. An airbender was never vulnerable in their native element. He scooted around the blast on an airball, and darted behind Ty Lee.

"You can't touch me," Aang said gleefully. "You're as slow as an earthbender!"

Ty Lee contorted her neck until it was backwards, and her face was upside down. She blew some more killer gusts at him. But Aang bobbed and weaved around them.

"Do you know where Crescent Island is?" Aang asked casually. "Cuz it's where I gotta go. You know?"

"Stop moving!" Ty Lee said. "If I weren't trapped I'd be winning!"

"And why are you trapped Ty Lee?" Aang asked, darting around one of her air strikes.

"Because Teo's a bad guy, and he betrayed me," Ty Lee cried. "We've been friends since we were kids! How could he do this to me?"

Aang walked towards the girl. She sent another strike at him, but it was half-hearted, and Aang had the timing down. He focused some chi into his hand, and slapped the gust, redirecting it into the ground. Aang twirled Teo's knife in his hand. "He asked me to kill you. Sokka probably would too. It makes sense. You've killed a lot of people Ty Lee, and in a really horrible way. All those spirits deserve justice."

Ty Lee started to tremble. "I don't…" She blew a gust at Aang. He didn't bother redirecting it. The breeze felt nice against his skin. "I don't want to die."

"I know," Aang said sadly, standing in front of her. "Nobody does. Life is sacred. It's the first lesson an airbender has to learn."

Ty Lee started to cry. Somehow, despite all the horrible things she'd done, seeing her face crumpled in sadness still felt...

The pale steel of the knife glinted against the sun. It was a harsher world than the one Aang knew. It would require a harsher Avatar. It was unfortunate, but there was no way that he could allow this girl to... Not with way she'd chosen to live, not with her mastery of the most deadly bending arts. There was only one thing left to do.

Aang got it over with quickly.

* * *

"This is it Uncle?" Zuko asked. "You're sure?"

Uncle didn't nod. He just stared unblinkingly, shoulders stiff and frozen. It was… Frightening. And it was all the answer that Zuko needed. This was Senlin Village.

The gray cinders crunched against his shoes like frail paper. They were all that was left of the small Earth Kingdom Village. That and the skeletons. And the knives. The Avatar must've been here. Then Azula. Of course Azula had gotten here first. Of course she'd razed the place to the ground. She'd gotten the information she needed and she'd made Agni sure that nobody else got it too. All the informants were dead.

This was why Zuko could never win. He didn't have that ruthless edge. Azula killed enemy soldiers. Zuko saved them. He had a soft heart, just as Father said. His banishment, his suffering, his years of exile, it all meant nothing. He was still a failure. Zuko could say the right things, he could brood and sulk and do everything to prepare himself, but in the end he would have never done something like this. How could he get strong enough? How could he catch up?

"That's Zuko?" Asked a voice behind him.

"Yeah," said Mai. What was she doing here? The knives… Of course. That must've meant the other voice was… Was...

Why was Azula here? He'd done nothing wrong! She couldn't hurt him now. She wouldn't hurt him. Not in front of Uncle. She'd never hurt him in front of Uncle before. And it would be against Father's orders. He'd done nothing wrong! Zuko was safe. He was safe!

But as always, Zuko couldn't stop himself from trembling. Someday Azula would try to kill him, he was sure of it. And just like always, he was sure that that day was today, and he felt helpless. But by Agni's Ashes Mai was here! Slowly the tremors were replaced by a false bravado. He turned.

"Tell me the Avatar's location Azula?" Zuko's command came out a question, as he realized the girl with Mai was a pretty savage woman from one the water tribes. Definitely not Azula. Zuko let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"You must be Iroh then?" The savage asked Uncle.

Uncle's gaze was locked on the girl's eyes. Her golden eyes… "You did this?" Uncle asked, a trace of anger in his voice. Anger, and something else. Fear? Shame? "Katara?"

"You got it," the girl said, smiling. "Why didn't you come find me, Iroh, once I joined the Fire Nation Army? You must've known who I was."

What could she mean by that? Why would Uncle know who she was?

"Why have you done this?" Uncle asked.

It was obvious. For the Avatar. Anyone who captured him would be rewarded well. Promoted to royalty probably. Anybody would want to capture the Avatar, but only Zuko needed to capture the Avatar.

"I could tell you it was for control. If I was the only one who knew the Avatar's whereabouts you'd have to give me whatever I asked for. But that would be a lie," Katara said. She picked up a skull. "The truth is I wanted to say hello the same way the Fire Nation did to my tribe. After all," she tossed him a skull. "You only get to introduce yourself once: I'm Katara, your daughter."

The girl was lying. She had to be. Uncle would never… But no, it didn't matter. She did have golden eyes; that couldn't be denied. Whether her statement was true or not, Uncle, as the commanding officer, was honorbound to act as if it was.

"So Father, what do you say we get to know each other a little?" Katara and Mai shared a look. "I tell you where the Avatar is, and you teach me how to lightning bend."

"Done," Zuko said. He'd heard of Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. A good fire bender, and now that she was claiming royalty she could learn the secret of the royal family: lightning bending. For that matter so could he. Uncle would finally teach him how to lightning bend! He would finally regain his honor! The girl was offering him the world, he wasn't going to turn her down. The fact that she was with Mai was just a bonus.

"Have you heard _Him_?" Iroh asked, eyes narrowed. "Tell me Katara, did a voice tell you to do this?"

"Oh yeah, the royal family's mandate from heaven," Katara chuckled, and her voice became sing-song. Like Azula's. "As royalty I could claim I've heard Agni whispering in my ear. But I haven't. I betrayed my brother and my gran-gran so I could become a firebender. You may not understand Father, but in the water tribe family matters. We don't run away when somebody kills our son. We don't hide from our daughters. So after abandoning my family, I can do anything. I'm free to do things like this. It doesn't bother me at all, and I don't have to hide behind some story of madness."

It was understandable that an outsider would think the voices were fake, but Zuko had seen something overtake his mother, father, and sister one by one. Of all the royal family he alone had been left untouched by Agni.

"You may not hear _His_ whispers but you have certainly embraced _His_ teachings," Iroh said sadly. "Katara of the Fire Nation, I do not accept what you have become. I will not teach you lightning bending. Ever. Now get out my sight! As my daughter, as my legacy, I will give you the benefit of a head start before I do what has to be done."

Katara laughed. It was carefree and easy, and didn't have the same edge as Azula's, it was a pleasant thing. She smiled at Zuko without a hint of malice. "Father isn't quite as I hoped cousin, but I'm not too surprised. My brother used to tell me: always have a backup plan. I'll give you a day to change your mind. Then…" She shrugged and left.

Mai hesitated a moment. "Zuko, it's…" She turned to follow Katara. "You'd better convince your Uncle. Otherwise we'll have to share the information with-"

"I know." Zuko looked up at the sun. What had he done to offend Agni? Why did everything have to be so hard? Uncle, the one person who'd stayed with him, the one person Zuko could always count on, was the one person turning on him at the most crucial moment. Just when the Avatar was within his grasp!

Zuko knew the truth. Uncle would never change his mind. Zuko wasn't sure about the details, who _He_ was, whether it was an actual entity or a hereditary madness, but somehow he'd have to convince Uncle to train the girl who heard the same voices that had caused the death of Lu Ten. He had one day.

Or else the Avatar was Azula's.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** What a twist. Not sure how obvious it should've been, but if you were paying attention in chapter 4 you could've seen it coming. No rewards for reviews on this chapter, although they'd still be very much appreciated. I've got the next chapter fully outlined and maybe a third of the way written. I should be able to put out the first part of chapter 10 next week, but if I don't, it'll certainly be ready the week after.


	11. Chapter 10: Dirty Tactics

Katara tips off Zhao that the Avatar will be at the Fire Temple on the winter solstice. Zhao asks what she wants as a reward, and Katara says that she'd like a lesson from the Princess so she can better help the Fire Nation. Zhao tells her not to push her luck, a savage like her should be happy to be a part of the Fire Nation. Katara smirks, and tells Zhao she likes him. She whispers into his ear that the next time she sees him she'll take his heart.

Zuko talks with Iroh, trying to convince him to teach Katara. Iroh tells Zuko a story of his youth. For Iroh, war and firebending came easy. He spilled blood, killed dragons, and won battles. He has never lost a fight in his life. Not until… Not until he realized it was too late. Not until the war had taken his son, and his brother's sanity. Iroh has thought long and hard about the madness of his youth, and come to the realization that he never beat it. It abandoned him. Zuko asks why. Iroh says that Lu Ten was killed by a lightning bender. He says he has no right to be angry. How many sons has he killed? But he has come to a conclusion, firebending's natural state is destruction. It takes a special person to bend it into something more. Katara is simply not special. He would refuse to teach most people.

Zuko refuses to give up, and goes to Katara that night to strike a deal. He tells her that Iroh has changed his mind. Katara is a horrible judge of character and agrees. She tells him the Avatars whereabouts and asks when she can have her training. Zuko tells her after they capture the Avatar. Mai asks Zuko why he lied. Zuko says he must regain his honor.

Aang and Sokka arrive at the Fire Temple. And find Five Fire Sages. And find Commander Zhao himself with a squadron of fire benders. Aang and Sokka are being overwhelmed, when Iroh and Zuko arrive. Zuko begs Zhao to let him have the Avatar, but Zhao says that the honor of capturing the Avatar will be his alone. Zuko joins the fight, and then everyone stops. They start to dance like puppets. Princess Azula arrives, and her eyes are sky blue. She explains that she is a water bender now. Zuko exclaims how, as she was a firebender before. Azula ignores him, and lets the Avatar go. She wants a one on one battle. Aang can only airbend, and Azula can only waterbend. But Aang is eventually defeated, and Azula mocks him, claiming she has already mastered two elements. Perhaps the next time, she will face him as a firebender, except she can't of course, since she's already captured him. She considers giving Zuko a chance, telling him that Father will renounce his exile if Zuko can kill the Avatar. But Zuko can't do it. Just as Azula predicted. She tells Iroh that she will deal with him later. She will tell Ozai that he has been helping the Avatar, and torture him until he tells her how he poisoned uncle. Iroh is surprised that Azula doesn't know, but is actually mildly pleased. She doesn't hear Him. Azula yawns, and says she'll just have to torture the truth out of Iroh.

Azula calls in Katara to congratulate her on the tip. Katara sees Sokka, and doesn't hesitate, she turns on Azula sending a fireblast her way. Azula quickly defeats her. Sokka begins to negotiate right away, starting by telling Azula her aura is all red and angry, demanding Aang's life, and in return, they won't kill Ty Lee.

Azula laughs in his face. Kill the girl then. She's been to favored anyways. She's nothing more than a rival. Sokka shrugs and says it isn't like they have a code. If they don't return by sunset, Teo will kill her. Azula scowls, and starts to threaten Sokka, who just says tick tock, tick tock. Azula demands he return her, but Sokka demands she let them go. All of them. Azula is furious, but reluctantly complys, she demands to keep Katara and Mai. Sokka refuses the demand for Katara but allows for Mai to be kept. Katara demands Mai stay. Mai says she had nothing to do with Katara, she was always Princess Azula's loyal servant. A spy. Sent to keep tabs on Zuko.

On the way back, Aang keeps asking Sokka about his sister. Sokka gets angry, and tells Aang to ask her himself. But Katara, after all these years, has only one question for Sokka. "Do you have any news on the last waterbender?"

Zhao tells Azula that they are sailing for the Northern Water Tribe. They're going to wipe out all the savages. Azula remarks that it sounds like fun.

Author's Note: The following scene takes place before Katara and Mai burn the village to the ground. After this scene though, continuity will be back in place. Had to wait, for tension purposes, you know?

Also please leave a review at the end of the chapter of who had the dirtiest tactics. I just realized that in this chapter, not a single character acts honorably. The question isn't who cheats and acts like a scumbag, it's who cheats and acts like a scumbag best.

* * *

"Why is she here?" Teo asked. "I told you to kill her."

Ty Lee was bundled, blindfolded, and restrained in a corner of one of the tiny cabins in Senlin Village. It was a horror, almost sacrilegious, to take the freedom from an airbender, but Aang had done it. He had hardened his heart, and tied and gagged Ty Lee in a bundle of rope.

"And why'd you stick a sock in her mouth?" Asked Sokka, reaching down. "That's no way to treat a beautiful girl!"

"No!"

Teo and Aang restrained Sokka before he could let the killer loose. Aang couldn't really blame Sokka. It seemed excessive. Heck, he couldn't even blame Teo. Ty Lee was every bit as dangerous as the older boy thought. But the thing was, she was Aang's responsibility. If he hadn't run from the Fire Nation, run from his duty as the Avatar, she'd have never grown into such a monster. He couldn't turn his back on the world, and he couldn't turn his back on the people his cowardice had created. He would find a way to save Ty Lee. He'd raise her into an airbender that would make Monk Gyatso proud.

"This girl is the most dangerous bender on the planet," Teo said. "She could take out an entire city on her own if she wanted. Even if we fail in everything else Avatar, even if we can't stop the Phoenix, if we can just take out Ty Lee and her Chlorine Corps that would be enough. We'd have done good."

"Is she really that dangerous?" Sokka asked, rubbing his head with his stump.

"Yes," said Aang. "Teo is right. Letting her live is risky. But life is precious."

"Hmm," said Sokka, rubbing his chin with his stump. He smiled at Ty Lee. "That's a good point Aang, life is pretty important. According to my Gran-Gran, it was almost as important as a good fishing season, and even more important than wearing a clean pair of socks everyday." He unsheathed a knife. "Well, let's vote on it. All in favor of killing the pretty girl?"

Teo raised his arm, staring straight into Ty Lee's sad gray eyes.

"This isn't a vote," said Aang. "We're not killing her. That's the final decision."

Sokka chuckled, and sheathed the knife. "You sure about that Aang? Because I'm pretty sure we're all gonna have to agree on this one. You can make the decision alone, it's your right as the Avatar, but if me or Teo disagree, we could kill her in the middle of the night while you're sleeping. In fact, If I'm not mistaken, that's what Teo is going to do. The only way to prevent that would be to send us packing. I get that it's against your code to kill. Great. It's good that you follow a code. Let us do it then. Just like with Hei Bei."

"No," said Aang. "We're not killing her. If you're going to leave because of this then… Then leave."

Before he was an Avatar, before he was a friend, Aang was an air nomad first. It came with sacrifices, it came with responsibilities. Maybe his friends would leave him. But he believed that they'd come back. If he killed Ty Lee she'd never come back. She'd just be dead. Like Haru. Like Monk Gyatso. Like everyone else he knew.

"Do you trust me Aang?" Sokka asked quietly. "Have I ever lied to you? Have I ever let you down?"

"I trust you Sokka."

"You're the Avatar, you're the boss, but I spent my childhood being groomed to be the next Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. I know some things about leadership. Let us vote. Trust me. It's the only way we'll all come out of this happy."

"...Fine." Aang wasn't quite sure why he'd said that yet.

Sokka smirked. "Hey Teo, let's talk outside. I've got a proposal for you."

Aang squirmed as the boys left the room. What had he been thinking? Oh right. "It's not fun is it?" Aang asked. "Not knowing whether you're going to live or die."

Ty Lee shook her head.

"Well, are you sorry now? Now that you know what it's like?"

Ty Lee stared at a wooden wall, but didn't respond to the question.

"Life is sacred, don't you agree?"

Ty Lee hesitated. Then nodded.

"Will you kill again?" Aang asked.

Ty Lee shook her head.

Aang undid her gag, and took the sock out of her mouth. "Do you promise not to kill?"

"I promise," Ty Lee said blandly. "You can be as convincing as Azula Avatar."

"Good," Aang smiled. "You're an Air Nomad, for real now, and you'll be under my protection for as long as you follow our teachings."

"Great," Ty Lee said. "Another group to blend into."

"You'll like being an Air Nomad," said Aang easily. "It's a lot of fun. Oh yeah, and no more eating meat. It's against our code."

"That's fantastic," said Ty Lee dryly.

Teo and Sokka reentered the room, both smirking. Then they noticed that Ty Lee had her mouth free to airbend.

"Put the gag back on, she's dangerous!" Teo blustered.

"Aw, clear up your aura," said Ty Lee. "I'm a new girl. The universe has given me strong hints that it's time for a religious change. I've converted to Air Nomadism. My days of killing are over. I'm a bad guy now, just like you Teo, so you can stop worrying."

Sokka smiled at her. "The universe is a big jerk, but if you wanna listen to it that's your call. Anyways, all in favor of keeping Ty Lee alive?"

Aang raised his hand. He'd take Ty Lee and run if he had too. Lying was bad but killing was worse.

But there was no need. Sokka and Teo had both raised their hands as well.

"See Aang?" Sokka said. "You can always trust your good buddy Sokka to do the right thing. Now everyone is happy."

Aang supposed he should be happy, but despite his vote Teo was giving off some bad vibrations. The tall boy seemed happy and smug and Aang didn't trust a happy Teo. Dour and aloof, that was the Teo Aang trusted.

"Sokka huh?" Asked Ty Lee. "You've got a really weird black aura. At first I thought it was ugly, but now I guess I kinda like it."

* * *

"Admiral Zhao, this is Katara of the Fire Nation," Mai said in a dry dull voice. "Katara this is the esteemed Admiral Zhao of the Fire Nation Navy. There. All done. Aren't introductions fun?"

"I've always found them awkward myself," said Zhao, his mouth spread wide in an oily smile. "Now. Why am I here? It's likely you know this but I've been promoted. I'm a busy and important man, so this had better be critical."

"Yes," Katara said. "I have information on…"

For some reason she stopped. This smug snake-weasel of a man was no threat, but if he knew that the Avatar was going to be in the heart of the Fire Nation it was only a matter of time until the information found its way to Azula. And if Azula knew then the Avatar was getting caught for sure. Would that really be a good thing? Sure he would never be able to defeat the Fire Nation, but maybe he could stall their victory. At least long enough for Sokka to grow old, for the tribe to survive for a few more generations?

"I'm not a patient man," said Zhao. "And I'm waiting."

What was she doing? She'd just burned a village to the ground. Men, women- well no, if the villagers ran they hadn't pursued, but they had killed a bunch of soldiers, and even some boys who couldn't have been older than Katara had been when she'd left for the Fire Nation. The truth was that Katara had made her choice a long time ago. Bending. That was what mattered most. "The Avatar is going to be visiting the Fire Temple on Crescent Island on the Winter Solstice."

Zhao laughed. "I apologize young lady. Yes, you were right. This is very important. You've done well."

"I want a reward," Katara said, the words like ash in her mouth. She'd just sold out the entire world.

"You're a savage," said Zhao. "Your acceptance in Fire Nation society is reward enough. You should be grateful we've allowed a mongrel like you into our ranks."

Katara almost chuckled. She should've expected this. "Fine then. I challenge you to Agni K-"

"Are you sure you want to do this Zhao?" Asked Mai. "She was allowed into the Fire Nation Army by the order of Princess Azula. Any honor she gains is honor given to the Princess. Any honor stolen is honor stolen from the Princess."

Zhao scowled. "I will not be strong armed by a woman."

Yeah, Mai, with all her subtle politicking, was outhinking herself. That was the problem with strategic types. They spent all their time planning when they should be doing. The Steel Ship was every bit as impressive as Sokka had described. As tall as a tree and as long as a glacier, the Fire Nation cruiser had more than enough room on its deck to maneuver easily. Not that it mattered. Katara was finally healthy again, and she was ready to start winning again. Two losses in a row was unacceptable. She was gonna light this Zhao guy on fire.

"Azula," Mai reminded lightly.

"Fine," Zhao growled. "Fine. What is it you want savage?"

"Lightning bending lessons from the Princess."

"As if Azula would bother with you."

"Fair enough," Katara said. Why settle for training with the bender she wanted to kill fourth most in the world when she could go straight to third? "Firelord Ozai then."

"The invalid? The Cardiac Kid?" Zhao chuckled. "Does he even know how? Regardless, I'll pass along the request. Perhaps after I kill the Avatar, and am promoted to royalty I'll invite you into the palace as a concubine."

"I'm looking forward to it," Katara said. "I'll have to make sure that the next time I see you I'll take your heart."

* * *

"I know why you are here Zuko, but I will never teach her to bend lightning," Uncle said, sipping on a cup of tea. The room was cold. Dry. The steam from the tea irritated his skin.

Zuko seethed. Uncle was full of lies! It was in this very room, this barren desolate room, surrounded on all sides by fire and steel, that Zuko had awoken to a new dream. The dream of capturing the Avatar. It had been Uncle who had given him that dream, after Zuko had thought he had lost everything. But now, when he needed him the most, when the Avatar was finally within reach, Uncle...

The fires in the room grew larger with each breath, as Zuko's rage spilled out of him. "Why Uncle? You think this savage girl is worse than Azula? You think she's worse than Father? What does it even matter? Our family has spilled the blood of hundreds of thousands already, what's a few more!"

"She claims to be my daughter," Uncle said, putting down his tea. "It is true in the sense that I created her. She has my fire bending flowing through her blood; it is my fault her eyes are gold. I remember Zuko… I always knew that someday she'd come for me. That my sins would come to light."

"So teach her! It's her birthright as royalty." It was his as well, but Zuko had never… Why hadn't he ever asked? Oh yeah… Uncle had… But… But now was not the time for hesitation. "Lu Ten died a long time ago Uncle. At a certain point you will have to stop mourning and face the world."

Uncle tilted his head downwards and sipped his tea. He said nothing.

Had Zuko? Had he gone too far? No. He had to capture the Avatar! But this was… This was Uncle.

"You've never asked me whether Lu Ten heard the voice," Uncle finally said. "It is my biggest shame."

Uncle stared up at Zuko, and his golden eyes were clear and full and dry. "I was not like you Zuko. My Father's love came easy. Firebending came easy. Strategy came easy. War came easy. You must think that my life was easy. That I was born lucky. But you've been blessed as well. Your boons are less obvious but much more important. A good heart. A strong moral compass. And a sense of responsibility towards the world. You get it from your mother Zuko..."

Zuko noticed Uncle squeezing something under the table. A wooden tile. That pathetic flower that made the other pieces strong. The White Lotus. But Zuko knew the truth. Strength came from within. Nobody else could give it to you.

"And from the only man I ever admired… Your father. He would never have done what I have. Made these mistakes… Run from the world… Placed his curse on another… The truth is that I have always been envious of Ozai, and when I see you Zuko, I see him as a boy… Untouched by… Father, by Him, by illness, by the scorn of the common folk, I see the man that Ozai could have become, and I can't help but think it was all worth it."

"Why what was worth it?" Zuko asked. "What are you talking about Uncle?"

"I made a deal," Uncle said. "And I have never ever regretted it."

Uncle placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Not even when I saw my son dead at the hands of a lightning bender." Uncle moved to exit the room, pausing by the doorway. "Lu Ten never heard Him, thank Agni, and neither has Azula. She is faking to please Ozai. You would do well to follow her example should you ever return to the Phoenix King."

* * *

"You are his daughter," Zuko said, his monotone voice sexy and full of passion. He'd come barging into their hotel room in the middle of the night. Mai had thought about it, and realized that they'd never told him where to find them. Her poor prince must've checked half the hotels in the city. "Uncle has confirmed it."

Mai swooned. What a charming thing to say! Wait what? Zuko couldn't lie that well, and there was no way General Iroh would rape some savage woman… Or at least… At least Mai thought so. She'd heard rumors about the man of course, everyone had, but she'd always assumed it was Fire Nation propaganda. Weren't rapists brutish and creepy, not playful and charming?

"Yeah I know," Katara said, adjusting in her chair. "My brother told me when I turned ten. It was surprising then. It isn't now."

Yes, Katara's brother must've been a great source of information. He'd have been able to identify all the firebenders he'd never seen, and must've gotten an inside look at the rape and pillage after the battle. It wasn't like he'd have been quarantined off into some far off region with his elders. After all, there were absolutely no signs when the Fire Nation navy approached. Aside from it raining ash for a week beforehand, there would have been absolutely no signs at all.

Mai sighed. She didn't blame the brother for the lie. Better than saying Katara's father was some nameless soldier. Why not tell the girl she was the princess of some far off land? Give her some sense of ego in a society where her very existence would be a constant reminder of their greatest wound?

"And he was very excited," Zuko said, his face turning bright red. "You see, Uncle's own son died a long time ago, under mysterious circumstances. It was during the battle of Ba Sing Se. Conspiracy theorists have said that he was assassinated from the inside, by some general making a power play for the throne. Personally though, I think-"

"Did he agree to our terms?" Mai asked.

Katara shot Mai a dirty look. Apparently she'd wanted Zuko to ramble on some more about her supposed father. It was pure naivete. If she'd grown up with a father, as Mai had, she'd know that they were overrated and disappointing. Not that mothers were any better. Parents in general were intolerable. Mai would literally rather hunt a monk with a savage, than spend time with her family.

"Um, see, the thing is," Zuko stuttered. "Yes? Yes! Of course he did. As I was saying, he loved his son so much, he really uh… wanted to get to know his daughter. I think teaching you lightning bending is just a way for him to spend more time with you."

"Did he really say that?" Katara asked, blushing and playing with her hair loopy.

"Um," said Zuko, closely inspecting the grain pattern on the floor. "Maybe not in those exact words, but you know how Uncle is, with all his proverbs and stuff. I could tell that… Deep down he wanted to train you."

"Yes," said Mai dryly. "It was clear by the way he said he would never teach her lightning bending. If you were really paying attention, what he must've meant by that was that he would absolutely teach her lightning bending."

Katara scrunched her eyebrows together. "Really?" She asked, seemingly earnestly.

Mai couldn't tell if she was serious. "Yes," Mai said, making sure her face was stiff and blank. It couldn't be any more obvious that what she really meant was no.

"Alright then," Katara smiled. "The Avatar will be at the Fire Temple on Crescent Island during the night of the Winter Solstice."

Katara had said it all with a big grin. She hadn't even bothered to confirm Zuko's terms. She hadn't seen through Zuko's painfully obvious lie. She was truly a politician of impressive ineptitude.

"And you haven't told Azula yet?" Zuko asked. "You waited as you promised."

"What?" Katara asked. "Of course not. It'd have been good for my bending though, I mean if I told Azula and I told you, I'd be doubling my chances that somebody actually teach me lightning bending. By the moon, I'd probably get to see who the better bender was between Iroh and Azula. But I didn't tell Azula. Because I'm an honorable girl." Katara had apparently thought the notion was so ridiculous that she laughed at the end. She actually laughed!

"It's good that we have a deal," Zuko said. "Honesty is important during negotiations."

Katara and Zuko shook hands, both smirking.

Mai sighed. This was unbelievably dumb.

* * *

It seemed too easy. Aang was sure something was wrong. He had Appa circle the island three times.

It was kinda hard to see, as the sun had set a while back, but the moonlight allowed him to make out that the island lived up to its name. It looked like the moon- well not the moon right now, that one was full- but when, in scientific terms, it was in its waning crescent moon phase. There were only two ports, on either end of the island and they were both completely empty. The Fire Temple was near the crest of the tallest volcano and was a little taller than Aang had imagined. It had a bunch of roofs, and they all curled up and were painted red, making the temple look a little like a flame. It was pretty cool, but couldn't quite live up to the size, scale, and refined culture of any of the air temples.

"This is a trap," Aang said.

"You're probably right," said Sokka. "This is why we had to leave Ty Lee and Teo back at camp. We don't want to be worrying about her turning on us if we're walking into a Fire Nation ambush."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," said Aang. He knew he didn't have a choice, there was no way they could keep a prisoner in a situation like this, but leaving Ty Lee alone with Teo just seemed… No. Teo had promised and Aang trusted his friends. He trusted his instincts and patted Appa on the head. "Let's head down buddy."

Appa flew down, and landed in a whoosh, right next to the temple. He knew that they'd been seen, so the best strategy was a mad rush. Don't give the opponent time to think. Strike while they were off balance.

"Follow me," Aang leapt off Appa and sprinted up the temple's stairs, through its open entrance, and past its first hallway. He was greeted by a confined room and five firebenders. There were several doors on each wall, and he didn't have the slightest clue which one led to wherever it was he needed to go.

Aang scowled. These firebenders were dressed up as monks, but the Fire Nation had corrupted them as well. No, that wasn't right, not the Fire Nation, the Dark Phoenix. He was trying to save them, why couldn't they see that? Aang snarled, and slashed Teo's glider, sending a gale that slammed two of the firebenders into the wall. The rest scattered, and Aang let them go.

"What are you doing Aang?" Sokka asked, panting. "They're scouts. They're going to report us!"

"The Fire Nation already knows we're here," said Aang. "Chasing them would be a waste of time."

"But you don't know where we're supposed to go Aang! Once the scouts report back to main force we're done for."

"Then I guess we need to hurry." Aang sprinted through a random door. It led to a hallway, which led to a room full of chamber pots. This probably wasn't where he needed to go. Aang turned around, and searched for a different path. He didn't know which door would lead him to the right destination, but he knew that if he wanted to get anywhere he had to start walking.

"This is a really bad plan," Sokka complained.

It was. But it was all Aang could do.

* * *

Zuko's heart raced. The Avatar was younger than he'd thought, and followed by a one-handed savage. The Avatar knew waterbending then, and with Zuko's luck, all the other elements as well. He'd learned to plan for the worst after a lifetime of hard lessons.

But tonight had been easy so far. Uncle had insisted on coming with him this time. He'd almost seem apologetic, and Katara must've kept her promise to keep the Avatar's location a secret as the temple hadn't increased its security at all. There were no guards, no people at all, except for the monks that the Avatar had blown away.

The Avatar stopped at an intersection that split into three different hallways. He was discussing something with the savage. It did not matter what, they were distracted, that was enough. Zuko tensed, hidden in the shadows, and held his breath. It was time to-

Uncle placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder and shook his head. Zuko grimaced, but he knew that… Yes… Yes. Uncle was right. Now was not the time to strike. They needed to wait for the Avatar to reach a dead end. As an airbender, he would be to fast for them to capture otherwise. They needed to follow the plan. Surprise was the only advantage Zuko had.

"We can't just leave Sokka. He's blocking my chakras. I have to be here to enter the Avatar State."

The savage said something under his breath. No. No Zuko must've been mistaken… They couldn't be talking about…

"The risks don't matter!" The Avatar shouted. "The centipede said that entering the Avatar State was the only way to stop Him! He's already destroyed the spirit world Sokka, we're next! Why can't you understand!"

Uncle smiled lightly. It was fake. It had to be. But Zuko couldn't tell. How many fake smiles had Uncle given him over the years?

Because Zuko knew there was only one thing that Uncle hated. Not father for usurping his crown, not the lightning bender who'd killed his son, and not even the world that vilified him above all others. No, Uncle hated Him, who Zuko had just learned, could only be defeated by the Avatar.

"I need the Avatar Uncle," Zuko said. "I must restore my honor. It is the only thing that matters."

"Yes Zuko, I know."

Zuko had no choice. He had to capture the boy, even if it meant dooming the world. It was his only way home. He stalked after the Avatar, keeping to the shadows. Uncle followed.

* * *

Aang sighed. Another room, with another painting. How was any of this supposed to help him enter the Avatar State?

"Well?" Sokka asked. "Are you feeling any magic Avatar stuff yet?"

Aang held back a grimace. He could understand why Sokka was upset. They were in enemy territory, this was super dangerous, and it didn't look like Aang was doing anything. But this Avatar State thing, it wasn't like bending, it wasn't like walking, Aang wasn't sure what triggered it, but getting really upset and stressed about it wouldn't do him any good. He looked at the painting. Studied it hard. Tried to remember.

The man in the painting was… Was… Koz the tyrant… The real man had been… Aang couldn't remember, but he… Something about the painting wasn't right…

"The shadows are in the wrong direction," Sokka suggested. "They're facing towards the sun."

Yeah… That was definitely a part of it. Shadows not acting like they should, but it was more than that. If Koz had been the first Fire Lord, if he'd been the victor why would he have allowed someone to paint this? The painting showed him sitting on a throne made of the mangled bodies of his enemies. The man was tiny, but his shadow was giant. It blotted out the sun.

"I don't think this is the one Sokka," Aang said.

"Right," said Sokka. He gave the shadow on the painting a big ole' smiley face, with a wax brush, and followed Aang into the next room. "Now this is more like it."

Aang sighed, and headed for the door. There was nothing here that would trigger the Avatar State, just a bunch of sciency scribbles of the solar system. They needed to hurry. "Sokka, let's go."

"Hold on a second," Sokka said, "Do you even know what you're looking at Aang? I think this is the derivation that Sozin used to predict Azulon's Comet!"

Aang wrinkled his nose. No, no, he had to control his emotions, Sokka just wasn't thinking. Now wasn't the time to get mad. "Let's get out of here Sokka. There's nothing good here."

"Look, I think this is where he found his first derivative!" Sokka said, waving a piece of parchment in Aang's face. "I gotta hand it to the guy, say what you want about him, but you can't tell me he's not the best mathematician of all time."

"I actually remember that comet," Aang said with a forced smile. "There was a rumor that Fire Lord Roku had come up with a way to predict its orbit. It had all my elders freaked out. The comet made firebenders crazy strong. They told me that if I wasn't the Avatar by the time it came… Well… It turns out elders are sometimes right after all."

Sokka narrowed his eyes, and inspected the papers carefully. "Would you look at that… It looks like it's coming again. This Summer. The world needed you then Aang, but the world needs you now too."

"Give me the paper Sokka." Aang put the derivation of the comet's orbit into his pocket. It'd act as a… Something to think about he supposed. The Fire Nation had killed Aang's people with math, science, planning, and bending. As the Avatar, Aang was destined to be the most powerful bender in the world. But he'd need more than that to defeat the Phoenix. Sokka and Teo kept offering him lessons in math and science. Maybe, just maybe, he should take those lessons every bit as seriously as he took his bending. But that was for later.

Aang entered the next room. It was shaped like a giant hemisphere- with only one door, acting as both an entrance and exit- with its curved wall covered in a grand depiction of two benders battling on an exploding volcano. On one side was Avatar Roku, giant and stern and powerful, so bright he cast aside all darkness. On the other was Fire Lord Sozin, the man who had butchered the Air Nomads, huddled inward, sad and scared, drenched in shadows and red. He didn't seem at all like the monster who'd attacked the Earth Kingdom Colonies. No! The reports must've been mistaken, Sozin would never do such a thing, make such vile plans! They'd grown up together for Agni's sake!

"Why did you leave me brother?" He heard Sozin ask, the pain clear in his voice. "Can't you see the need for change? The beauty of chaos? I'm sorry, but the world must be destroyed and reborn from the ashes. It is the only compromise We both find acceptable. Avatar, prepare yourself. It is time to die."

Aang blinked and the world clicked back into place. "Sokka, I think this is the room." Had that been the vision he'd needed? He turned- Sokka was unconscious.

Instead he was greeted by a man with a face twisted by a terrible burn.

"Avatar," said the scarred man. "I am Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. I've spent years preparing myself for this: Training, meditating, searching… Ready yourself. I am here to capture you."

"I'm Aang," said Aang lightly. He sensed anger and aggression from the Fire Nation youth sure, but most of all desperation and fear. This wasn't a man who wished him harm. Unless his senses were very wrong, this guy wasn't an enemy. If he'd learned anything from his travels it was that he needed to trust his senses… Except when he couldn't… Except when that got a friend killed for nothing… Aang didn't know what to do. Should he turn tail and run? Stand and fight? No. He was an Air Nomad. There was only one path forward.

"I could use some help. I'm looking for a way to enter the Avatar State. A spirit told me I needed to enter it to stop another bad spirit we're calling the Phoenix. If you help me, I'll come with you Prince Zuko."

"You'll come with me?" Zuko frowned, and he wandered under the giant image of Avatar Roku. "Just like that?"

"If you help me enter the Avatar State," Aang said, positioning himself under Fire Lord Sozin.

Zuko's eyebrows creased… What did he think? What would he say? Zuko glanced at a fat old man who Aang had missed. Another enemy? No, the old man was caring for Sokka, tending to his wounds. Zuko leveled Aang with a golden eyed glare.

"This is for the good of the world Zuko," Aang said gently.

"Uncle?"

The old man nodded.

"Fine," Zuko said. "I accept your proposal. I will find a way to get you into this Avatar State. Uncle will help. He's an expert on these matters. But then… Then you are coming with me Avatar. I'm going home."

"No, he most certainly will not." Another man entered the room. He had mutton chops and wore a smug smile. "Prince Zuko. I should have expected as much. Making a deal with the Avatar. The Firelord will have your head. Now. Allow me to introduce myself Avatar. I am Zhao the Invincible, and I shall be the one to end your life."

Fire exploded from both of Zhao's hands, and Aang leapt into motion- or he would have, if the attack had been aimed at him and not Zuko. Aang wasn't sure what was going on, but the two firebenders ignored him completely, utterly focused on each other.

"Don't get in my way Zhao, the Avatar is mine!" Zuko shouted, as he weaved aside a strike. The tapestry behind him caught fire.

"Nothing is yours, you were sentenced to exile," Zhao roared, overpowering a stream of fire, and turning it back on Zuko. "You are nothing more than a criminal. Lower than the scum I wipe off my boots after I feed my mongoose lizard."

It looked like the firebenders had forgotten about him. That was fine. Zuko had represented a possibility, but he wasn't the only option. Aang had a lead now. He needed to find out everything he could about Fire Lord Sozin. That man, the man who had butchered Aang's people, had had a plan for the Phoenix. He needed to figure out what it was. That was enough for Aang to consider this mission a success.

Ash swirled in the room as the tapestry had been burnt entirely, leaving the walls dark, charred, and empty. The firebenders fought on, in large flashes of fire. Aang crept towards Sokka, until he bumped into the old man.

"He will be fine," the man said kindly. "Go to the top floor. You will find a grand door. Behind it is Roku's private quarters. There you will find the path you must take to stop the spirit you call the Phoenix."

Well that was helpful. Or a trap. Either way he needed to get outta here. Aang nodded, grabbed Sokka, and slowly twinkle toed out of the room, as the battle between Zuko and Zhao raged behind him. He was surprised to find a girl standing in the center of the next room, a little flame crown atop her head, framed by perfectly symmetrical bangs, but her eyes were what drew Aang's attention.

They were as blue as the ocean and as cold as glaciers

Aang tried to run. He couldn't. The blood in his limbs felt as if it had frozen. He started to move. Walk. Step by step, back towards Zuko and Zhao, back to those who wished him harm. Not of his own volition, it felt like somebody had attached strings to his legs, and was controlling him like a… Like a puppet. This was a violation. Aang wanted to scream, but he couldn't move his tongue. All he could control were his eyes.

The fighting had stopped. Zuko and Zhao were frozen, and the old man as well. Together, they marched in jagged, rhythmic, unified steps, until they were in a single file line. There they stood like giant dolls. The girl whistled, and a group of soldiers came lumbering in, carrying large pots sloshing full of water. With a motion of her arms the girl dismissed the soldiers, and inspected each of her hostages one by one.

"Zuzu, brother, I have missed you." She caressed Zuko's scar warmly, water glowing on her fingertips. The way she stroked him, it was almost predatory, like a tiger-spider playing with its prey. But maybe Aang was mistaken, when she withdrew her hand Zuko's scar seemed a little less red. "It brings me great pleasure to see you after all these years, but why aren't you saying hello to your dearest little sister? Are you still angry?" She smirked and moved on.

She gave Zhao a curt nod. "You are as I expected. A fool. You should have known I would find out. Disobey me again, and I will execute you myself."

She almost marched past Sokka, except something caught her eye. That weapon he'd been working on? What was it called again? Aang couldn't remember, but it looked like Teo's firespitter. She inspected it for a second, placed it in her pocket, and patted his unconscious head. "Impressive. When you wake, perhaps you will be able to find a place in the Fire Nation. A position has recently opened up, and I have had success with your kind before."

And then, finally, she stood in front of Aang. But she didn't look at him. Instead she glared at the old man, and Aang could suddenly move again.

"Avatar," the girl said coldly, still looking at the old man. "Father tells me you are the strongest bender in the world. So…" She studied his forehead, his arrow, and her voice became sing-song. "Why did you run away? Were you afraid? But why? What could the strongest bender in the world possibly be afraid of? May I guess?"

She couldn't know. She'd just met him. But maybe…

"You were afraid of the responsibility of being the Avatar. Afraid of your own power. I understand Avatar. Allow me to introduce myself: I am Princess Azula, first in line for the Fire Nation throne. I think you are very wise. What does an Avatar know of ruling? Nothing." Azula smiled. "Thank you Avatar, you have done more for the Fire Nation than any Fire Lord ever has. Is that not why you vanished? Because you wanted the Fire Nation to win? You are my ally, correct? Certainly that must be the case… Because… Of course, the only other explanation is that you are a coward. So what are you Avatar: Ally or Coward?"

...Maybe it was obvious. Aang trembled. His cowardice must've been written all over his face, if a girl he'd just met could know all that. His arrow, the symbol of his mastery of air bending, now felt like a brand. A reminder of his greatest failure. When the world needed him most, he'd disappeared. He wished he could just get rid of the tattoos.

Azula struck him with a swift jet of water. It was just his arm, just a small little scrape, the pool of water beneath his feet was just diffusing the blood, making the wound seem worse than it… Aang jumped over another jet stream, and floated to the ground. Water spilled from the pots onto the floor, Azula froze it, covering the ground with a flat plane of ice.

"So you're an airbender?" Azula asked quietly. "I know a certain technique. Perhaps you know it as well? You change the composition of the air into something toxic. I believe the correct term is mustard gas. I've covered all the vents in this room. If you wanted Avatar, you could kill everyone here, and escape yourself. That is your only path to victory."

No! Life was sacred! Aang would never resort to such brutish savagery! That was the path of temptation, the easy way, if Aang searched hard enough, a third option would always present itself!

He bent the air behind him, using it to propel himself towards Azula at an incredible speed. But the princess made no move to defend herself, and just stared Aang down with those icy blue eyes. And Aang realized he didn't know what he was going to do when he got to her. He tried to jump over her, but it was too late, she dropped him with a kick to the stomach.

Aang keeled over and coughed. He'd felt that one in his intestines. He stood, but his legs felt shaky, and his stomach had turned. He wanted to throw up but the princess still stood between him and the door, regarding him silently. How in the hurricane was he gonna get outta this mess? He looked around, searching for something- anything that could help him, but the room was empty except for three other firebenders who wanted him captured and Sokka. And for all Aang liked Sokka, for all they'd suffered together, Sokka wasn't a bender nor was he much of a fighter.

Aang was alone.

"I…" Aang tried. "I'm trying to defeat this evil Phoenix spirit thingy, that wants to uh, destroy the world and stuff, and he's already destroyed the spirit world, and he's going to try and destroy our world next, so uh… I kinda think we're on the same side on this one, ya know?"

"No," said Azula. " We are enemies. Kill me and live or fail and perish. That is the way of the world Avatar."

"Are you sure?" Aang said. "The Fire Nation is part of the world as well, you know. There's no reason for us to fight each other."

Azula strolled to one of the broken pots, picked up a clay shard, and flung it at Aang. He blew, slowing the shard until it floated in the air like a feather. Just a little more airbending, and he could send it back at the Princess...

Azula raised an eyebrow.

Aang stopped blowing, and let the shard shatter on the icy floor. He was a pacifist… Which meant… Which meant that he could not win.

"I surrender," Aang whispered.

"Very good coward, I accept your surrender." She skipped towards him, and held out a hand. Azula smiled, but her eyes were what drew Aang's attention.

They were as gold as the sun and as angry as a raging fire.

The blue flame burnt against his stomach, the heat causing the water in his robes to sizzle and singe. He fell on his back, and the Princess regarded him coldly.

"In the Fire Nation surrender means death," Azula said. "You should be happy Avatar, that I am willing to kill you quickly and cleanly. Others would not be so merciful."

Azula's gaze drifted to the old man once again, her hands burst into blue flames, and slowly, slowly her passivity melted, and her lips began to stretch and stretch, until her face was covered in sadistic glee. "Time to die."

"I am not impressed," the old man finally said, stepping out of the princess's weird bending trap. "That waterbending does not belong to you. In the original's hands it was quite impressive. But I defeated Hama and I can certainly defeat you."

Azula stalked away from Aang, and pulled something out of her hair. Her little flame crown thingy. She tossed it aside, letting it clink and clank against the ice. "Father always told me you were the closest thing to fire bending perfection. That you were almost everything a Fire Nation Royal should be. That you were almost perfect. And you've taught me a valuable lesson Iroh. Almost lost you Lu Ten, almost lost you Ba Sing Se, almost lost you your birthright, and almost lost you your brother. Almost isn't good enough. Almost is worthless. Perfection is the only thing that is acceptable."

"I was almost everything a Fire Nation Royal should be?" The old man chuckled. "I was lost, scared, and confused. I was naive and powerless against the forces of destiny. Some people know how to swim against the currents of fate intuitively. But Azula, destiny is not a roaring river. It is a gentle stream. You can stand whenever you choose. I did not realize this until it was too late. If you learn anything from my failures Azula, learn this, you are not a slave of your impulses, of your base desires. You can rise above them."

Little tings and twangs filled the room, almost like bird-crickets chirping, as a spider web of cracks formed in the ice floor. "Iroh?" Azula asked, her voice sing-song. "When's the last time you spoke with mother? Hasn't she told you? Someday I'm going to destroy the whole entire world. Someday I'm going to kill the Avatar. Someday I'm going to house the epitome of evil. And mother still loves me."

"Loves?" The old man asked sadly.

A strand of black hair flopped down, covering half of Azula's frown. Then she started spinning her arms in opposite symmetrical circles, sparks leaping from her fingers, and took two measured steps forward.

Lightning flashed. Thunder roared. And ice flew.

The old man had redirected the bolt of energy into the ground. The resulting blast had kicked up an icy haze, and Aang couldn't see much of the fight. Just roaring red flames and sharp blue tendrils.

At first red was winning. Its size and strength overpowering the smaller blue flames. But the tide turned quickly. Azula's flames were a hair more precise, just a little faster, and as the haze cleared it was the old man sporting burns. It was the old man whose breath had been disrupted.

The two firebenders regarded each other a moment. It was clear Azula was, if nothing else, in much better shape. If they kept fighting this way she would have her victory. But Aang knew from fighting the girl that simple victory wasn't enough for her. She wanted to crush the opposition.

Dueling streams of fire leapt from both firebenders, meeting in the center of the hemi-spherical room. Red versus blue, in a battle of pure power. And in a flash the battle was over. Blue flames engulfed the room. The old man had been defeated. It had been just as one-sided as Aang's fight.

"Pathetic," Azula said coldly. "Your bending is a mere shadow of its former glory."

"You are a truly gifted firebender," Iroh said lightly, like an elder to a wavering youngling. "But those principles, that need for control, makes your waterbending weak. Remember Azula, waterbending is about fluidity and change. Adaptation. Not discipline."

Aang almost missed it. Azula, for a brief second, grimaced, but in only a moment it was covered by a cold unfeeling mask. Not smiling. Not frowning. Neutral. The princess revealed nothing.

"Uncle?" Azula asked, pacing against the stone floor. "Father wept when you rescinded the throne. I do not know why you did it. But Father was not plotting against you. Father would never do that. He loves you Uncle… More than anyone I think."

"What do you want Azula?"

Azula slowed, until she stood in place. "Father always tells me: 'Iroh should be Fire Lord.' 'He should have chosen Iroh.' I don't understand what goes on in his mind, but I do know one thing: Father admires you Uncle. He does not admire Fire Lord Azulon, or Sozin for starting the war, or even the first Fire Lord Koz. Only you Uncle. And the Avatar."

"What are you getting at?"

"Father often left us Uncle. Just as often as you left Lu Ten. When I was a child I wished to see him more often… It is hard to explain why. He was not a talented firebender who could help with my training. He was not an accomplished military strategist who could sharpen my mind. And yet, even so, I always wished that one day he would return for good."

Iroh's expression, Aang had seen it once before: On Monk Gyatso when Aang had earned his arrows. "He was doing great things."

"But when he was finally made Fire Lord, he was... Changed. His first decree was- No, a ruler must be harsh sometimes, even to their own family. But slowly I began to notice… Irregularities. Inconsistencies. Cracks. Earlier you asked me what I wanted. Just this: How can I cure Father? You should know. You poisoned him."

"I did." The old man sighed. "But there is no cure you can give him. Either Ozai will overcome the poison himself, or he will be mad forever."

Azula blew steam out of her nose, and strolled towards Zuko. "Dearest brother, convince your uncle to change his mind. Father may have given you that scar, but you must understand that Father was not himself when he did that. Iroh had driven Father to madness. If I am the one torturing him I know that Iroh will bear his fangs, but if it were you Zuzu," Azula smirked. "Well then I think we might just be able to defang the Last Dragon."

"You want me to torture Uncle?" Zuko asked.

"It must be done Zuko," Azula said. "You heard him, he poisoned Father. He is the reason you were exiled. He is the reason mother is… And if you help me with this Zuko, I will find a way to get you in Father's good graces. I know you won't believe it, but I reward my allies Zuko. Let me prove it to you." Azula abruptly left the room and reappeared with another girl. No, not just another girl. The girl.

Azula's ally was dressed in furs like Sokka, and had little hair loopies which framed adorable gold eyes. She had silky brown hair and beautiful caramel skin, and… And…

And she was the most beautiful thing Aang had ever seen.

* * *

The Avatar… The Avatar was… He was…

Small. A kid. Kinda cute. He didn't seem like some world ending threat, but Katara knew that… Knew that…

Azula was saying something… Talking with Zuko… Just another person she'd betrayed…

"...And I knew that if Ty Lee could overcome her Air Nomad heritage, this girl could certainly overcome her past among the savages. And ever since, she has been an exemplary soldier. She has followed my every command. She even located the Avatar for me! And she will be rewarded for her loyalty to the Fire Nation. Among other things, I shall teach her lightning bending. I would be willing to extend that offer to…"

And Azula blathered on about all of Katara's grand accomplishments for the Fire Nation. The towns she'd burnt to the ground. The earthbenders she'd killed. How she'd stalked and found the Avatar, threatening innocent Earth Kingdom civilians the entire way. Strange how they all sounded like ash now that…

Now that…

She'd heard a song about how the Avatar had returned… How he'd been awoken from a slumber… How he had three companions… One from each nation. An earthbender, who could barely earthbend. A troubled Fire Nation scientist… And a bufoon from the…

From the…

She'd made her choice years ago… She'd chosen bending. Bending. Bending! It was the only thing that made her special, and despite all her regrets there was no turning back.

It was too late to change things now anyways...

She wondered who else knew… She wondered if the Princess was simply baiting them, or if she'd really been so easily fooled. Because her stupid older brother was pretending to be unconscious. Staying perfectly still as Azula listed out all the ways Katara had betrayed her Tribe. See…

See…

Katara's lips twitched.

See that was the problem with strategic types. They spent all their time thinking, biding their time, when sometimes the only thing to do was…

Katara shrouded herself in a cloak of fire.

The Princess spun around. "What are you doing?"

Several flame clones stepped out of the fire, as did Katara herself.

"Stop at once!" The Princess commanded, eyes darting from clone to clone. "I do not understand. Are you actually going to try and fight me?" The Princess chuckled. "Really? What exactly are you trying to accomplish?"

The Princess surveyed the room. She seemed fixated on the Avatar, who really did just seem like a child. Katara waited patiently for her moment. She knew Azula wouldn't be able to resist the temptation. She just knew.

And finally the Princess was onto Sokka. He wasn't dressed as a tribesmen. No, not Sokka, he was dressed in red Fire Nation silk, covered from head to toe in camouflage. As a hunter should be.

"I see," said the Princess. "Is this savage family, a brother perhaps? I… Understand your hesitation. If you stand down, I shall overlook this treachery. I promise you, no harm shall come to this man. I have no quarrel with the Water Tribe."

Huh. That was unexpected. Maybe…

"No," Sokka said, dropping the unconscious act.

The Princess jumped. "Clever savage. Very clever." She swept his legs, and caught him by the collar. Blue fire leapt from her palm. "But you'll find that I can be very, very convincing."

"Aang is family Katara," Sokka said, staring at her with the same calculating look he'd given her when he'd learned she was a firebender. So many schemes. So many plans. But she knew he would never ever turn on her. It simply wasn't an option. And she knew he would never turn on Aang either.

The Princess's expression froze. "Betray me now, and I shall burn your home to ash."

Now Azula was just being silly. Not only did ice not burn, but a dead woman couldn't do nothin'.

Katara and all her clones struck.

Azula heaved Sokka in front of her, using him as a shield. Foolish. Katara bent her flames around her brother.

Azula dropped Sokka, and dashed away. But it was too late, one of Katara's tendrils caught her ankle. Azula screamed, and dropped to the ground. Katara broke off the tentacle, and made it latch onto Azula as a little flame bracelet.

An azure blaze exploded from Azula, as the girl howled like an animal. A ring of water condensed into her hand and started to glow. Azula reached down to heal her wound, but Katara stopped her with a sentence.

"I guess I'm the better firebender. Without your waterbending you'd be dead."

Azula snarled, and dropped the water. White and blue sparks leapt off her. She moved her arms in a slow symmetrical pattern, which Katara studied carefully. One step, then another, and finally a lunge.

Lightning flashed. Thunder roared. And a fire clone died.

Disappointing. Katara didn't understand why Bumi had told her this was such an unstoppable technique. It seemed slow. Sure it was deadly if it hit, but so was pretty much any other type of firebending.

Azula grunted, and tried another lightning strike. Katara tagged her with a fireball in the middle of her windup. It wasn't big, not enough to hurt the enemy, just enough to disrupt her energy.

The lightning exploded in Azula's face. The girl careened off a wall, and slammed into the ground. Bruised. Battered. Burned. Half dead. Azula still breathed, but she did not get up. She whimpered softly, like a kicked saber-toothed-moose-lion cub.

Katara could end this right now. A few blasts of fire, and that would be the end of the bender universally regarded as most powerful on the planet. Strike now, and Katara could be a hero. A legend.

"Get up," Katara commanded. "This can't be all you've got!"

Katara didn't care about glory or honor or any of that. She wanted to be the best bender she could be. She wanted to fight the strongest benders in the world. In their element. At their best.

"I should've known you were all hype," Katara extinguished her clones. "People act like you're invincible. The perfect Fire Nation royal. Except for one small little thing that nobody ever talks about but we all know. You made your mother kill herself."

Azula stood. Yup, that did it. She'd definitely found her spirit.

Azula screamed, and Katara easily dodged a telegraphed firestrike. She'd need to find a way to cool the girl down. Azula was at her best when she was calm and collected. This raving lunatic wouldn't even be a challen-

Azula bent a puddle of water into a pillar of ice, and sent little discs slicing at Katara.

Katara blasted them apart.

A streak of blue fire erupted from one of Azula's broken nails, and Katara met it with a blast of her own. Blue and red lit up the room, neither gaining an inch. This was what it was all about! A battle of power and will. Katara took a deep breath and strengthened her flame. Azula grunted, and redoubled her efforts. Twin blue fires leapt from the royal's fingers, pushing back Katara's colder orange flames. The power of the Fire Nation was impressive.

But Katara's ribs were no longer broken. She was free to take in as much air as she needed, and she'd never met a firebender who could match her power. Katara roared, and her breath erupted from her mouth in the form of pure fire. Orange overcame blue. The fight was hers.

Steam billowed from Azula. She'd blocked Katara's victory with water. Azula's eyes darted towards Sokka. Katara raised an eyebrow, and pointed at Iroh. They'd fight fair or not at all.

Azula smirked, one eye gold the other blue, one hand full of fire, the other drenched in water… Little water droplets coalesced from the air forming a long whip.

"Savage, I promised you a lesson in lightning bending if you delivered me the Avatar," Azula said, striking with her water whip. Katara danced around the attack easily, flowing right into a counterattack. Azula met it with blue fire, and then a blast of water. It broke straight through Katara's flames, and soaked Katara's furs. "I keep my promise savage, even to traitors, so let me explain something about lightning bending. The hard part isn't creating the lightning, it's telling it where to go. You can create the lightning in an instant."

Azula touched a finger down to a…

Fuck.

On the ground, a little pool of water ran through the room, all the way to Katara.

Lightning didn't flash, thunder didn't roar, but thousands of volts of electricity passed straight through Katara's heart.

Her legs wobbled. She fell to the ground and spasmed, no longer in control of her muscles. They expanded and contracted unnaturally, as she convulsed. Pain! Agony! Nerves fired out of control. Then they slowed, and Katara felt cold. Frozen. Dying. Dead.

This was better than she'd ever dreamed. Katara had always hoped she'd die on a battlefield, but she got to die fighting the strongest bender in the world. She got to die fighting for her tribe. She got to die a hero. By the moon she'd even been winning. She'd finally proven herself. If Azula hadn't somehow obtained a second element Katara would have beaten her. This was everything she'd ever wanted.

So why did she feel so empty?

So alone even though she was with Sokka, after all these years?

You are never alone. I am here. Open your eyes Katara, and use my power.

Great. Now she was hearing the voice again.

"I guess your little rebellion didn't work after all." Azula swaggered towards her. "Too bad. You were a good tool. This is my fault. If you had feared me more, this would not have happened. A lesson for the future perhaps. But for now, a princess does what she must."

Blue fire ignited from Azula's hands. Katara closed her eyes. She didn't want to die. Somehow, she wanted, needed, her older brother to come save her like he always used to. But she knew, in this world, Sokka wasn't the Chief's favorite. He couldn't simply talk them out of whatever trouble they'd gotten themselves into. The real world didn't work like that. In the real world power was all that mattered. Bending. Something that Sokka...

"Relax Azula," Sokka said brazenly. "It's all black and murky. Your aura."

Azula blinked, and creased her eyebrows, seemingly confused.

Katara didn't get it either. Auras? Wasn't that hippy stuff? It didn't really seem… Like it had to do with anything at all.

"What?" Azula spun around, and stomped towards Sokka. "What have you done with her? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH TY LEE!"

"Relax, relax," Sokka chuckled. "She's under Aang's protection. Teo won't do a thing to her. He respects the Avatar too much."

"Teo?"

"You know him?" A smile crept onto Sokka's face. "He really wanted to kill her, but I was able to talk him out of it. He said she was dangerous. But I can't imagine why, not a pretty little girl like her."

"Are you threatening me?" Azula whispered, although somehow it still sounded like she was screaming.

"No. Not me," Sokka's eyes drifted to the ceiling. "I would never use a hostage. It's not manly… But… Teo really wanted to kill Ty Lee. I had to… Negotiate, even with such an unsavory fella'. See some people are practical, for some nonbenders, well they have to find a way to get by in this scary world, full of people so much more gifted. I'm sure you understand, knowing Teo and all, that if we're not back by sunrise, your friend, Ty Lee, is… Well, you know."

Azula grabbed Sokka's collar, and pinned him against a wall.

Sokka just seemed amused. Azula was just letting out steam, just like Bato used too. But, Katara wasn't so sure. Azula wasn't Bato. She was ruthless. A girl like her didn't have friends, and she'd throw her tools into the garbage as soon as their usefulness had passed.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh," Sokka said, mimicking the sound of waves against a glacier.

"What are you doing?" Azula demanded.

"Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock," Katara translated. "It's almost sun up already. The deal won't be good for much longer."

"If you let us go right now we might be able to make it back in time," Sokka said, smiling ruthlessly. "Otherwise you might as well kill me now."

"Fine," Azula said, letting Sokka slip through her fingers. "Fine. But I want Ty Lee back."

"No," the Avatar said. "She's an air nomad now. I can't send her back to the Fire Nation."

"No," Azula said. "This deal is too one-sided. I refuse."

"Then kill us," Sokka said, and waited…

Azula froze.

"Your time is running out," Sokka said. "Make a decision. Will Ty Lee live or die?"

Azula trembled.

"You win." Azula glared at Sokka. "Go."

Sokka smirked. "Later." He and the Avatar limped to the door. He turned, and looked back. "You coming?"

Katara shook herself, and followed after.

"I think we should leave as well nephew," said her father.

"Yeah." Zuko nodded. "That would probably be a good idea."

Before Zuko was out of the room, he turned back to the princess. "I'm proud of you Azula. I don't regret being exiled anymore… I… I know you would've never done it."

"I would've done it," Azula whispered. "If mother hadn't… Savage!" She shouted. "Where are you from?"

Sokka and Katara shared a look.

"The North Pole."

Then they turned and left.

* * *

"Are you really going to just let them leave?" An irritating ant asked.

Azula touched one of her bangs. Burnt from the savage Katara. Truly, the girl was an opponent worthy of respect. Powerful. Fluid. Relentless. Azula had never fought a bender so fearsome. If Iroh was the Last Dragon, then Katara was the Dragon Reborn. Such a discovery made the day worth cherishi-

Ty Lee.

Ty Lee.

Ty Lee.

What was wrong with her? Was she really so weak? Yes Ty Lee was her only friend, but she had just let the Avatar go for nothing. Despicable.

"The Fire Lord will hear of this!"

"Will he?" Azula raised an eyebrow. Then killed Zhao with a lightning bolt.

She walked out of the room. Found Mai.

"Get me a fleet," Azula said calmly. "We're going sailing."

* * *

"So how's the last waterbender doing?" Katara blurted out.

Of course. No explanation for leaving, even after all these years, Katara was still obsessed with that silly little idea. "Don't know," Sokka said roughly. "The last time the tribe had a waterbender…" Sokka stared at the General. He could still remember the man's face, as clear as yesterday, even though he'd long since forgotten Hakoda's. "Well, you know what happened."

"So it's still a secret then?" Katara asked. "How'd you get the Avatar out of the iceberg?"

"Black powder," Sokka said. It felt like he was being interrogated.

"Really?" Katara asked. "Are you absolutely sure you didn't have any help?"

Sokka rolled his eyes. "The last waterbender wasn't even there."

"Sure mister inventor," Katara giggled, and brushed his shoulder. "It's good to see you again Sokka." She left, looking around the camp for someone. Probably Zuko to practice some firebending. Turned out he was her cousin after all. Go figure.

"Is that really your sister?" Aang asked, bouncing on his toes. "That's who we were looking for?"

"Yeah," Sokka said, his stomach full of… Feelings and stuff. Not manly at all. Sokka pushed 'em all down, tried to make 'em go away. Didn't work.

"Why didn't you tell me she was so…" Aang blushed and sighed.

"So what?" Sokka asked suspiciously. He knew Aang wouldn't like that she was a firebender. But it hadn't been Katara who'd killed his people.

"...Um nice," Aang said suddenly. "Nice is what I mean. Later Sokka!"

"Um bye?" Sokka asked, as Aang bounded away. Weird.

The General shuffled towards him. "Hello. You are… Chief Hakoda's son? You may not remember me but I-"

"You're General Iroh, the man who killed my father. I recognized your voice back in the Air Temple. I remember you," Sokka said. "Your ships. Your men. The formations. The crystals in the snow. I remember that smug look on your face as you burned our chief alive."

"I," the General shook his head. "I am sorry. But I must also thank you. It was your father's sacrifice which freed me from-"

"Don't be sorry," Sokka said, shrugging. "I'm not angry. I don't hate you. It was war. You killed an enemy commander. What's wrong with that?"

The General took a step back. "Your father was a hero."

Sokka laughed. He was astounded by how bitter it sounded, even to his own ears. "My father was a fool. He knew bending would attract the Fire Nation's attention. It did. You came and killed us. We learned. No bending. No war. No bending and life is good."

"Your father was no fool. He did not have to fight me. He chose too. To save his-"

"I didn't say he wasn't nice. I didn't say he wasn't heroic. I didn't say he didn't care for his people. I said he was a fool. An idiot. A terrible leader. If he'd been a good leader he'd have made better decisions, and we'd have never gotten into a war with the most powerful nation in the entire world. You have to be a special kind of idiot to pick a fight against an opponent you can't beat, but then again, he was a bender."

"You do not understand," the General said, almost angrily. As if it was Sokka who'd killed Hakoda. As if saying mean things about dead people mattered. They were dead, Sokka was sure they didn't mind.

"No, he understands," Katara called from the other side of camp. "My brother understands just how important bending is to a bender. But people make personal sacrifices for family all the time and bending is dangerous. Maybe he's right. Maybe the world would be a better place without magic. Without us."

"But I've come to realize it's impossible," said Sokka. "In all my travels I've only ever met one bender who would give up their stupid magic."

"Really Sokka?" Katara laughed at him. "Have you given up on your perfect society of science, engineering, and reason? And after you'd finally convinced the Chief?"

"Bato wasn't convinced." Sokka reminded her. "I got in trouble for exploring the Fire Nation cruiser wasn't I?"

Katara snorted. "As soon as you showed him that stupid toy boat Bato was eating out of the palm of your hand. He thought you were our savior. You'd finally convinced him. The Southern Water Tribe was going to be the first society to outlaw bending. What happened?"

Katara had left. That's what happened. Sokka hadn't wanted anything to do with the tribe after that, no matter how technologically advanced they'd become. "It doesn't matter." It didn't. Society didn't need bending to be outlawed. Once his new invention was fully developed magic would become obsolete. Sokka patted his pocket. Huh? "Where'd it go?"

"That crazy princess took your firespitter copy thingy," Aang said.

"Don't call my sister crazy," said scar-face-guy. "You have no idea know what she's been through!"

So… The Fire Nation had his invention… Sokka shared a look with Teo.

"Looks like we're gonna be going to the smith's," Teo announced.

The arms race had finally begun. The world would burn as a result, but a better humanity would arise from the ashes.

* * *

"Prepare the ships admiral," Azula tried to smile, tried to keep her inner rage from smearing her perfect exterior.

"For what, your highness?" Asked the Admiral.

Azula smiled. "I think those savages in the pole have bothered us long enough. We're going to exterminate every last one of them."

"Very good your highness, but..." The Admiral looked profoundly uncomfortable asking her a question. As he should. "But which way will we be sailing? North or South?"

Azula smirked.

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Next time on The First Firebender part 1 of a flashback episode. Sorry about the short length of this weeks update. Here's an excerpt from next week's chapter(which will be longer): ...The Fire Nation cruiser must've been anchored here for years. That was the only way the ship could be surrounded by such a thick layer of ice. It was as big as an iceberg, and made with the same smooth metal that the hunters used to tip their spears. Katara knew instinctively that this kind of thing was larger than the two of them. The kind of discovery which, whatever her dumb brother thought, needed to be shared with the rest of the tribe. The Chief would have a meeting with the elders, and together they would come to a well thought out decision over how to approach the cruiser. The ship needed to be treated with extreme caution.

Sokka shimmied his way through the snow, and banged on the side of the boat with his bone spear. "Hello? Anybody home?" Nothing happened. So the idiot kept whacking.

Katara grabbed the spear.

"What the heck Katara!" Sokka said. "Have you gotten sick with full moon madness?"

"No, but what if-"

"What if?" Sokka roared with laughter, and snatched back his spear. "Man has never been stopped by what if! All tribesmen have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge! We're not put out by silly things like what if this happens, or what if that happens, we jump into the water headfirst!"...


	12. Chapter 11: The Phoenix Returns (Part 1)

**Author's Note:** For anyone who missed it, last week's chapter has been moved to the front. It is the prologue chapter now. Since we're entering the final act of the story, the author's notes will be in the beginning of the chapter or part, which will continue to be released every Friday or Saturday. So thanks in advance for reading!

* * *

Now this was more like it. A good ole' Air Nomad Air Temple. No scary princesses in here trying to kill him, no evil shadow demon thingys trying to steal his soul, not even any skeletons of the people he let down. The Western Air Temple had always been his favorite temple back before he'd been trapped in the iceberg... Well maybe not, but it was definitely in his top four. In the West.

"Why's it all upside down?" Ty Lee asked. She slid off Appa and flipped into a handstand.

"It's because…" Aang loosened his tunic, and let it blow in the wind. "This canyon has a bunch of strong air currents. The movement of the air helps an Air Nomad feel comfortable. It never gets stagnant and stale."

"It's not to hide?" Katara asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought Air Nomads were supposed to be a bunch of cowards who could only run away."

"Says the savage," Ty Lee said, rolling her eyes upside down. "Didn't the Southern Water Tribe immediately surrender to the Fire Nation? I think waterbending is the weakest element!"

Aang shook his head. Ty Lee had a long way to go. While her pride in her airbending and her heritage was a good thing, confrontation really wasn't the Air Nomad way.

"Okay, okay, I get it." Katara laughed and held up her hands. "Well Master Aang, what have you got for us today?"

Aang's heart fluttered. Okay, being called Master by the prettiest girl he'd ever seen was pretty frickin' awesome. "Today we'll be learning about one of the most important aspects of airbending. Medi-"

"Don't share secrets with the outsider!" Ty Lee said, glaring at Katara. "Make her go away! This lesson is for Air Nomads only!"

"Aang said I could come."

He had. He wasn't sure why.

"Shouldn't you be catching up with your brother?" Ty Lee asked.

"Bending is more important," Katara said, not even blinking.

"That's disgusting." Ty Lee pointed an accusing finger at Katara, her other arm supporting her entire body weight. "Your aura is awful. It's all red, and it's blacker than Azula's. You should work on fixing that."

Aang couldn't disagree with Ty Lee. It was probably more important that Katara catch up with her brother. Instead the siblings had avoided each other, and while Sokka and everyone else had gone to a nearby town to rebuild his invention, Katara had asked if she could come with Ty Lee on her first air bending lesson. It was an element she'd need to learn about, she'd said, in order to fight The Chlorine Corps.

"That's okay," said Katara. "My aura can be worse than Azula's. The important thing is that I become the better bender."

Ty Lee wrinkled her nose, huffed, and walked with her arms towards Aang. "Make the outsider go away!"

"No," said Aang. "Today's lesson is meditation."

"What's that?" Katara asked, leaning against a mason wall, her silky hair flowing in the wind, like a blossoming flower of spectacular beauty. "Some secret air bending asphyxiation technique?"

"Um, actually, us Air Nomads have the saying 'life is precious'," Ty Lee said proudly. "So there are no techniques about choking people."

"Right." Aang nodded, not bothering to point out that Ty Lee knew more lethal bending techniques than anyone. "Meditation isn't actually about bending at all. It's about clearing your mind of all doubts, worries, and earthly desires."

Ty Lee and Katara stared at him, disappointed. "No bending? Then what's the point?" They both asked, then glared at one another.

"There's a lot more to being a bender than bending," Aang said. "The connection to your element for one thing. My elders used to always tell me, 'airbending is the element of freedom.' That's as close as words can get you to describe the connection. It takes years of meditation to form a deeper understanding than that. To really get to the core of the element."

Ty Lee gave him a skeptical look.

Katara snorted. "Are you sure? Because I'm pretty sure my katas are what makes me a good firebender. That and my natural born gifts. I've met a lotta firebenders more spiritual than me, and I completely wiped the floor with 'em."

"I guess, I kinda feel the same as her." Ty Lee frowned, as if the realization tasted like curdled milk. "Like this other airbender I trained with. He was into the spiritual stuff too. But I could always beat him up, because I was… like totally special. My air bending talent made me special. I was always the strongest bender."

"Right," said Aang. "We're all powerful benders. But… When I learned I was the Avatar I got scared and ran away. Because I ran the Fire Nation was able to start the war. A lot of people died because I let fear cloud my judgement. I don't think any of us need to become stronger benders. We need to learn to make better decisions."

It had always been painful to even think about his mistakes. When he said them aloud, when he shared his past, it had been even worse. But this time it didn't hurt at all. This time it felt good.

Katara and Ty Lee both scoffed. They shared a dirty look. Then Ty Lee nodded.

"Teach me about meditation," Ty Lee said.

Katara rolled her beautiful gold eyes. "Can't you teach us something useful? Like how to create a super tornado? That's just an example, we can keep on brainstorming."

"Meditation is how you form a spiritual connection with your element," Aang said apologetically. "It's an important part of being a bender."

"If you think it's useless," Ty Lee said brightly, "You can always go away!"

"Fine," Katara sighed. "Seems like a bunch of voodoo, but how bad can it be?"

Very bad, it turned out. Aang instructed the girls to get into a comfortable position. Katara kept on fidgeting. Aang told them to focus on their breathing. Katara started firebending. Aang told them to clear their mind of all thoughts. Katara asked if she was doing it right.

"Wow Katara," Ty Lee said, in that bubbly voice of hers. "You really suck!"

Katara huffed.

"It can be difficult for beginners," Aang said calmly. "Just relax and let your thoughts go where they may. Ignore them."

Katara nodded. A few moments later she was snoring.

Well…

Aang grinned, there was no helping it, he'd just have to help Katara with meditation until she got the hang of it. After about twenty more minutes of meditation, they woke Katara up, and headed back to camp on Appa.

"That was a complete waste of time," Katara said.

"I thought it was a great lesson Aangee," said Ty Lee, touching his shoulder. "I really did start to feel a spiritual connection to the air."

Aang gently brushed her off. Meditation was a subtle skill, and it had taken Aang several months before he'd realized how bad he was at it. Even now, with years of practice, Aang could only truly form a connection to the world for about a minute, and he had always had a natural talent, It would be years before the meditation started to pay off for Ty Lee, but the important thing was that she'd taken her first step towards becoming a true Air Nomad.

"You should keep trying Katara," Aang said. "It can be difficult at first, but once you get the hang of it; it'll be worth it."

"Hmm… I've got an idea Aang," Katara said. "How 'bout I teach you firebending?"

Aang smiled. "That would be wonderful."

"Great." Katara said. "Let's start tomorrow."

Tomorrow? Wasn't that a little early? Aang didn't know a lot about becoming the Avatar, but he did know that the order was supposed to be air, water, earth, and then fire. But it wasn't like he was an expert, and when the prettiest girl in the world asked if you-

"You're scared," Katara said, frowning. "I knew it! You're afraid of becoming the Avatar aren't you?"

Aang sighed. It was that obvious, wasn't it?

"You're afraid of your bending aren't you Aang," Katara said. "How it makes you different! How it makes you special! I bet Sokka's got you all twisted up doesn't he? 'Bending is wrong. Bending makes us different than everyone.' Well I say good! You should be excited to be the Avatar! That makes you the most powerful person on the planet!"

Aang bit his lip. "It's a lot of responsibility. That's why meditation is so-"

"That's right!" Katara laughed. "You were an Air Nomad before you even met my brother! The reason you're so confused is because of all that silly monk vood!"

"Enough! Don't talk that way about my people! Meditation is important! You've got no idea what you're talking about!" Aang forced himself to relax. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't be," Katara said. "I've been trying to rile you up all day! The Fire Nation killed the Air Nomads Avatar. Why?"

"Because I ra-"

"It's because they refused to fight back," Katara said. "The Air Nomads were pacifists. That's why the Fire Nation killed 'em first. Cuz they knew it'd be easy."

It was tempting, and she'd said nothing wrong but… If she was right, then it would absolve him of responsibility. He could go through life without the guilt of a dead civilization on his shoulders. But…

He was an Air Nomad first. He believed in the teachings of Monk Gyatso.

"It's my fault," Aang said. "The Avatar is supposed to be the protector of the Air Nomads. It's been that way for thousands of years."

"So," Katara said, twirling a hair loopy. "The Air Nomads needed the Avatar to protect them? Well… If they got wiped out as soon as you left, I think it was bound to happen eventually. Pacifism just doesn't work, Aang, no matter how much you, me, or anyone wished it did."

"It's my fault they're dead."

"No it's not," Katara said. "It's the Firelord's fault. He killed them. It's their own fault. They couldn't stop them. Now the Air Nomads who are left can move forward with a philosophy that actually works."

"Pacifism works!" Aang shouted.

"Until an angry firebender kills you."

"If it weren't for the Fire Nation," Aang said. "It could work! If the Fire Nation never existed the Air Nomads would still be here."

"Oh please," Katara said. "Let's say you win the war, and bring balance to the world. Then, in a hundred years you'll die. Another country will be strong then, let's say it's the Water Tribe. They'll want farmland, they'll want colonies, they'll want more resources. Those belong to others. So they'll take it. There will always be a Fire Nation Aang. If Air Nomads can't punish the people who try to kill them, they'll always be the first ones killed."

She was wrong! She was wrong! She had to be wrong. But history, logic, and even common sense said otherwise. Air Nomad philosophy was so beautiful, promised a world so perfect, if only everyone would follow its tenants. But… Like Katara said, pacifism couldn't work in the real world. It had needed the Avatar to survive for as long as it did, and as soon as he'd disappeared it had been destroyed by more militaristic and aggressive beliefs. And even…

Even Monk Gyatso had died a killer.

"You've got to be able to do more than run away," said Katara. "That's why I'll be teaching you to defend yourself. Tomorrow, you're gonna learn how to burn."

Maybe… He had too… According to Sokka, if he wasn't willing to challenge his beliefs he didn't really believe in them. That Aang could agree with. He'd go into the lesson with an open mind.


	13. Chapter 11: The Phoenix Returns (Part 2)

Seeing the weapon being built had been… Interesting. The two boys, um blue-eyed guy and gray-eyed guy had seemed nice. But their invention… And according to the blue-eyed guy it was merely a mobile version of a weapon the Water Tribe had already mass manufactured… Things were changing. If they won the arms race, if they had the Avatar, the Fire Nation's invincible military wouldn't be so invincible. The rest of the world was catching up in technology and bending. If Zuko did not stop them, the Fire Nation was going to fall. It was only a matter of time.

Maybe it was for the best. Throughout his search, his travels, he'd lost his zeal for the war. A world governed by the Avatar would surely be better than one ruled by Azula. His sister.

But…

Zuko would protect her anyways. From father, the Avatar, the world, and even herself. He'd already sacrificed his honor for her. And he had seen… He had realized… He was the lucky one. Being born without talent had actually been a blessing. He had always been a bad liar, so he had become honest. He had never been a great fighter, so he rarely used intimidation to get what he wanted. He had never been able to do things on his own, so he had been forced to learn how to work with people. He never got things right, so he had developed resilience. Most importantly, his weakness had earned him the scorn of Father. And being scorned, being hated by Father was much, much safer than earning his love. After all, Father loved Lu Ten. Dead. Father loved Mom. Dead. And Father loved Azula...

Zuko sighed, and gave Uncle a half-smile.

"I'm… Curious. Why aren't you two a little more…"

"Suspicious over the obvious Fire Nation spy?" Asked the blue eyed warrior, sharpening his spear on a whetstone. The warrior looked around the camp, at the rest of the Avatar's party. "Good question? Why aren't we guys?"

Zuko shook his head, and glanced at Katara. His cousin? Still having trouble getting used to that. "You're from the Southern Water Tribe right?"

"Northern Water Tribe," Katara corrected, stirring a pot of soup she'd been brewing.

"Really?" Zuko asked. "I thought that was a lie to throw off Azula. But I guess it was a double-feint then?"

Katara shared a look with her brother. Zuko suppressed a smirk. He had them. He dipped his finger in the soup, and gave it a try. Not bad, but it didn't really taste like anything. Could use more spices.

"Not that it matters much," Zuko said. "You made Azula angry. She never forgets a grudge. If I know my sister at all, she's got a couple Fire Nation Armadas sailing for both Poles."

The Warrior didn't react outwardly. Just poured some soup into a bowl and took a couple sips. "It's good Katara. Just like Gran-Gran used to make." But little ripples spread across the top of his soup. The Warrior was shaking. One down.

Katara his cousin, well, she'd never looked more like Azula. She held a hand over her mouth, but couldn't hide the smile in her eyes. She was pleased. Pleased that her home was gonna be burned to the ground.

"Are you sure?" Asked the Avatar. The boy, all movement all the time, stood as still as a statue. "The Poles are in danger?"

"It'll be a few days before the ships arrive," said Zuko. "If you want to save your home…"

"We'll keep that from happening," said the boy. His voice didn't waver. He stood straight. Zuko could see the Avatar the boy would become. "We'll save them."

"How?" Asked the Warrior. "You can airbend. My sister can firebend. Ty Lee might be a help, but I don't think we can trust her to go against the Fire Nation. And then there are these two," The Warrior looked at Zuko. "We can't beat the Fire Nation."

"You're right." The Avatar smiled. "But we won't be fighting them. That's not the Air Nomad way. We'll be running."

* * *

The Northern Water Tribe was nothing like the Southern Water Tribe. One was a large metropolis, with technology that had seemed like it was a hundred years from the future. The other was a small smattering of ice, snow, and igloos.

Quaint. Poor. So small it could hardly be considered a city. That's how Aang would describe whatever this place was.

"Is this really the Northern Water Tribe?" Asked Ty Lee. "It's kind of..."

Yue creased her eyebrows. "Our history goes back thousands of years, and unlike those outcasts in the South, we've never-"

"Was the Southern Water Tribe this small?" Ty Lee asked.

"Nope," Aang said. "It was about the size of Omashu."

"That can't be right," Ty Lee protested. "Savages aren't capable of building anything more than a hovel like this."

"My home is not a hovel!" A geyser of snow erupted behind Yue. "We fought with the Phoenix King for our freedom! We earned our independence with blood! Maybe we're not as big as the Southern Water Tribe, maybe we're not as powerful, maybe we're not as wealthy, but we have something they gave up a long time ago:our freedom! We have a home! Unlike you Air Nomads!"

"You are almost a woman," Chief Arnook whispered down to Yue. He sat atop his ice throne, and Aang couldn't help but compare him to Chief Bato who had seemed so similar to Monk Gyatso. Arnook in contrast, reminded Aang of the elders who had demanded he separate from Gyatso and begin his Avatar training early. "Act like it _Princess_ Yue."

Yue blushed. "I'm sorry Father." Yue bowed, dipping so low her nose was buried in freshly fallen snow. "Welcome to the Northern Water Tribe. It would be an honor to teach the Avatar the healing arts passed down from woman to woman for-"

"I'm not actually here for that." Aang sighed. This really sucked but drawing this out would just make things worse. "The Fire Nation is coming. We um, kinda really pissed 'em off. I think they're gonna try and wipe you out. So it would be for the best, if you, you know… Packed up your things and ran."

The Chief adjusted in his ice chair, and looked down at Aang as if he were a bug. "I do not understand. You are the Avatar are you not?"

"I am."

"Then why must we run?" Asked the Chief. "Could we not stand and fight? With you at our side we will not lose!"

"I'm not sure that's true," Aang said. "But even if it were, a lot of people would die. I'd rather pursue an option which preserves life."

"This is our home." The Chief declared. "We will not abandon it. If the Fire Nation comes we will fight them. If they kill us; so be it."

Well… The Chief was certainly speaking for the will of his people. All thirty of them cheered. Aang sighed. He didn't have time for this. He had to return to the South. Help Katara and Sokka and Teo and Zuko and Iroh. But these people were stubborn. How could he change their minds?

"Yue," Aang said. "I think I could use some lessons after all."

He glanced at Ty Lee. Words weren't all that convincing, but if he showed them the overwhelming might of the opponent then maybe... Maybe the'd be convinced. It was time to unleash the deadliest bender on the planet.

* * *

Yue hacked. Yue coughed. She didn't die. It just felt like she was dying. The beautiful gray-eyed airbender had created a green gas, and forced it down Yue's throne. It had only been a few heartbeats, but it had felt like an eternity. Her insides had burned, her throat had blistered, and her lungs had hardened. Then the airbender had pulled out the green gas, and Yue had healed herself.

"Do you understand?" Asked the Avatar. The airbender was practicing gymnastics behind him. Playing. Yue's death, Yue's life, it meant nothing to her. Just like her tribe meant nothing to the Fire Nation. The independence of the Northern Water Tribe was their greatest source of pride. Their only source of pride. But nobody else cared. If they fought the Fire Nation they'd die. And nobody would care. They'd be forgotten. Nobody would sing their stories.

"We have to leave," Yue said. "That is what you wanted to show me. I understand."

The Avatar, Aang, nodded with a sad smile. "Life is precious."

Yue almost laughed. She'd been so, so stupid. A naive little girl, just as father always said. As if the Avatar would want a waterbending lesson from her. She wasn't a boy. She couldn't fight. She had no power. Her role, as always, was to reason with father.

Their true waterbender, her uncle, had been sent to the South Pole. Soon he'd return, and he'd be able to teach Aang waterbending.

"So…" Aang bounced in the snow. "When is the lesson gonna start? Hey have you ever heard of a type of waterbending which lets you control people like puppets? I fought this girl who used it on me, and I'd really like to know how to get out of it."

Yue frowned. A lesson? From who? And he couldn't be talking about bloodbending, could he? That was just a legend, no bender could be that strong. Certainly not a girl. Everyone knew that fighting was for men.

* * *

Black snow fell from the sky.

Despite all his efforts, Aang hadn't been able to convince the tribe to leave. Not even with Yue's help. So he'd made up his mind. If he couldn't convince the tribe to retreat he'd leave for the South alone.

The Chief was talking with someone new today. Chatting. Laughing. Bursting at the seams like he was catching up with an old friend.

The newcomer was an ordinary middle-aged man who almost looked like he was from the Fire Nation, except for his eyes… They weren't the ocean blue of the Water Tribe, nor were they the honest green of the Earth Kingdom, not the wise gray of the Air Nomads, or even the intense gold of the Fire Nation. They were brown. Spectacularly unspectacular.

"Are you the Avatar?" The brown-eyed man asked.

"I am," said Avatar Aang. "I'm here to save this tribe."

"Sorry. I just... I have done my best... But I am not… I have been waiting for you for a long time." The brown-eyed man wiped his eyes. Aang noticed how tired the man looked. His skin had an unhealthy pale glow, and his black hair was thin and frail. "I am… I come from the Fire Nation. We should not have killed the Air Nomads. It was a great atrocity that should never have happened. I apologize."

"There's nothing we can do about it now," said Aang. He couldn't forgive the Fire Nation, but this man… Aang had never expected anyone to say they were sorry. He knew how hard it was to see the mistakes of your own country. Katara had spelled out the faults of the Air Nomads, as plain as a tornado, and Aang still refused to accept them. This man was special. "Who are you?"

"A fan," the brown-eyed man said, with a sad smile. "I have given up on being anything more. Anyways, Arnook, the Avatar is right. A Fire Nation armada is on its way. If you want your people to survive, it would be prudent to evacuate. Princess Azula is very angry. You see, her best friend, Ty-" The brown-eyed man gave Aang a smile and a wave. No… Why was Ty Lee hiding behind him? Why was she trembling? The man shrugged, and continued. "The reasons do not matter. Azula is a Fire Nation royal. As moody and headstrong as the old General Iroh. She holds a vendetta against two clever members of the Southern Water Tribe, and she will take it out on you."

The Chief laughed. "What are you talking about? We've got you! We've got the Avatar! We can't lose."

"This time will be different." The brown-eyed man warned sternly. "General Iroh did not fight last time. If he had we would have surely lost."

"Is that why you've finally returned?" Asked the Chief. "Because Princess Azula is coming to power? Because the reign of the gentle Firelord Ozai is coming to an end?"

"I'm not some-" The brown-eyed man's protests were cut off by a violent fit of hacking and coughing. Yue ran to him, hands full of glowing water, but the man shook her off. "But you are right. That pathetic disgrace of a Firelord is dying. Soon the Fire Nation will belong to Princess Azula, and she will be as brutal as General Iroh should have been. You must grow strong Arnook. Or perish."

Arnook frowned, and rubbed his chin. "You're serious?"

"Your people have potential," said the brown-eyed man. "More than you know. You must survive Arnook. Grow. Make your people more than they are."

"No," Arnook said. "It is not our way. Running is not the will of my people."

The entire Northern Water Tribe roared with their chief. All thirty of them.

The brown-eyed man sighed. "Chief Hakoda would not have cared. He would have saved his people whether they liked it or not."

"I'm not Hakoda," said Arnook stiffly.

"Indeed," the brown-eyed man said softly. He didn't know what it was like to disappoint a father, but he imagined that was what the chief was experiencing right now.

"The man is a myth!" Arnook blustered. "Everyone always talks about him like he was perfect! The perfect Chief! But I don't… It's all stories right?"

The brown-eyed man smiled. "No. He fought Iroh for the right to be defeated by the Fire Nation. Iroh gave him many chances to surrender. But Hakoda refused; even as he was burned alive. He was the first and only man Iroh ever killed in Agni Kai."

"Were you there?" Whined Arnook. "If not, how could you even know?"

"No. I was not there." The brown-eyed man coughed. "But my brother was."

"Well it doesn't matter!" Arnook said. "They were still conquered. We're free. What good is life under Fire Nation rule?"

"As long as you live you can grow strong," said the brown-eyed man. He stopped to catch his breath. It was ragged. It whistled. His legs twitched, and the man fell to a knee. Yue rushed to help him up, but the man brushed her off, and stood on his own. "Why do you think I came here Arnook? Princess Azula is attacking both poles."

Arnook looked at his toes. Aang could almost see the man shrinking in his throne.

"Princess Azula and the Fire Nation, they think the Southern Water Tribe is the greater threat," the brown-eyed man smirked. "She will personally oversee the invasion. The North Pole is an afterthought Arnook. She is making a mistake. She underestimates them."

"So we can beat them?"

"No. She has your measure." The brown-eyed man laughed. Then coughed. Then hacked. "Do you remember what it means Arnook? My tile?"

Arnook fumbled with his furs, and held out a… A pai-sho piece. With a flower on it. A white flower. A White Lotus. "With enough time and care, the weak can grow strong. When that happens…"

"Everything changes," the brown-eyed man finished. "Princess Azula expects the Southern Water Tribe to fight bravely. Fight cleverly. And lose spectacularly. Nobody beats the Fire Nation at sea, and they have no waterbenders to even the odds. But… The Southern Tribe has advanced. Changed. They've become strong. Princess Azula goes South expecting victory, but she will be surprised. It will not be as easy as she thinks."

"What are you saying?" Arnook asked. "Do you think the Fire Nation is actually going to lose?"

"No. Your sister tribe does not have the bender needed for victory." The brown-eyed man smirked. "But. If they had benders… Come. Join me. Find out how strong you can become."

"Even if I wanted too, how are we supposed to get all the way to the South Pole?"

The brown-eyed man nodded at Aang. "There is a way. A shortcut between the North and the South. Two portals. I have been in correspondence with your younger brother. He has activated the portal in the South Pole. The North Portal has been active since before the start of the war. But we've needed a third ingredient. Something was missing. _Someone_. The Avatar. Only _She-_ he- can open the portal."

All eyes were on Aang. "Hello everyone." He waved. "Avatar here. I'll do it!"

He couldn't wait to see Sokka and Katara and Teo again.

 **Author's Note:** Oh. Ohhhhh… I see what's happening here. Wait. Wait! Nooooooooooooooo! Don't do it Aang! If that's your reaction you're absolutely right.


	14. Chapter 11: The Phoenix Returns (Part 3)

Well, at least one part of the spirit world hadn't been destroyed. Upon arrival in the spirit world Aang was surrounded on all sides by a luscious jungle overflowing with spirits. Within eyesight was the Southern Portal. But there was another path, impossible to miss, that lead deeper into the jungle.

Ozai shook off Aang's support, and followed that path. The Northern Water Tribe ignored him, and walked towards the Southern Gate. Whatever Ozai, the Phoenix King, wanted was fine. The man had proven his trustworthiness through past actions. Only Ty Lee seemed concerned.

"You have to stop him," said Ty Lee, shaking Aang. "That man is evil. He turned Azula into a monster!"

Aang nodded. "I'll see what I can do." He followed silently, as only an Air Nomad who'd dedicated their life to the evasion could.

Ozai's weak gait steadily grew stronger as they ventured deeper into the jungle. Color was returning to the man. Aang didn't know what to make of it. He'd noticed something very odd about Ozai when he'd carried him into the spirit world: the Firelord had no pulse. His heart did not beat. And yet he lived.

To survive without a heart, yes, only _He_ was capable of such things. He must have formed some kind of bond with the Dark Phoenix. Similar to his own bond with… His own bond? What the heck was he even thinking about?

The jungle had become too thick now, to venture any further. Aang leapt down, and was forced to follow close behind Ozai. The foliage wilted, browned, and dyed in the Firelord's presence. But the man soon passed, and the foliage grew back twice as thick, twice as strong behind the Avatar. Yes, this was the way of the world. Death and rebirth. Balance.

The spirit world's destruction hadn't been because of _Him_. It had been because _He_ wasn't there.

"Avatar," Ozai said, his words strong now. No longer was he sickly. No longer was he dying. And Aang could see the man who the Firelord could have been. Talented. Strong. Proud. Untested. Fragile. An easy opponent to defeat. A man unworthy of being the Avatar's rival. A man whose power came from his bending, and not himself. A weak man, instead of the strongest. "We have arrived."

A twisted, ever dying tree stood in front of them. In the middle of its trunk was a hole. A void. Bottomless. Black. Unknowable. Evil.

Wait, if something was unknowable, it couldn't be described as bottomless, black, evil, or anything else. Those were just assumptions.

"If you wish to stop me," Ozai said. "You must do it now."

"Go ahead."

"You are an Air Nomad are you not?" Ozai asked. "Is your fundamental tenant not 'Life is Precious'?"

"It is."

"Then why would you let me free death?" Ozai asked. "You must surely know already, this spirit is your equal. No matter how hard you fight, you will not be able to defeat it."

"Life is precious," Aang said. "But death is inevitable. You should fight it, you can deny it, but it always wins in the end. It's just the way things have to be."

"He will try to destroy the universe."

"I will try to stop him. That's what life is all about."

Ozai chuckled. "You're right."

Blue light seeped out of Aang, and joined the red light gushing from the tree.

 _You have found me._

 _I will try to explain._

 _But it is hard._

 _To talk._

 _To communicate._

 _To interact._

 _Even with you._

 _Our chosen partners._

The Avatar and the Dark Avatar both stared. Two voices had spoken, nowhere and everywhere all at once, as silent and loud as a thought. Instinct drove them forward. They placed their hands on the Tree of Time. It glowed red and blue.

And the Avatar finally met his spirit.

* * *

In the beginning there was only Her, but slowly She became aware of another. Him. She did not like it at first. It was scary to know that there was something else, other than Her. So She ignored Him.

But He was not to be deterred. He called out to Her, again and again, but She forever ignored Him. It was not in Her nature to change. But He was different. He loved change. Each time His call was different, until, after an infinite number of attempts, a miracle occurred and She responded.

And so She came to know another. The two shared ideas, He was always so interested in ideas. What if there were other things, than just the two of them? Quarks and bosons, energy and matter, He marveled at these imaginations, and especially of his favorite of all: space and time. But She hated these ideas. Were the two of them not enough? Were they not happy? Was the now not good?

He agreed that it was, but it could be better. Change was good He believed. She disagreed. Until he showed her a miracle. A flash of something else, that burst into existence and disappeared just as quickly.

And She experienced something new. Conflicting emotions. She could not deny that the third existence had been beautiful and exquisite. But its disappearance horrified her. It was different. It was change. She could not revert it back to sameness. This disagreed with her nature.

So She created a universe that would last forever. He enjoyed the universe for a while, and congratulated Her on its beautiful existence. Together they watched the dance of quarks, the beautiful fluctuations of leptons, and the continuous passage and reversal of time. Soon He was bored. Nothing ever changed. They were just watching the same thing again and again. So He destroyed Her special universe, Her favorite creation, and She was angry, and so He apologized, but She did not forgive Him.

So He created a universe and waited. It was a more violent thing, full of new features like stars and planets, and atoms colliding and fusing and dividing. She enjoyed this universe even more than her own, and finally forgave him, so she created life. A miniature Them. She cherished it. This was Her favorite creation of all.

And He created death.

She hated Him now. Until, for the first time, she embraced change, for in this universe, with these particular rules, a byproduct of death was the degeneration of genetic material. Mutation. Evolution. And with evolution, life became complex. Perhaps change was necessary after all. But eventually, She succumbed to temptation and created a separate universe, free from things like death and time, and transplanted it with several interesting species. Eventually, He learned of this, and in a fit of rage gave Her favorite species, Humans, a portion of His power. The power to change the world as He did. She began to take away these abilities, returning their power back to Him. Until He asked Her a simple question.

"Why have you not destroyed my universe Raava? It is full of change. Do you not prefer sameness?"

And She realized that He had built this universe to be destroyed. He had simply been waiting for Her to do it. To follow Her nature. But She had changed. She loved this universe He had created. And when He realized Her change He would destroy the universe Himself.

Vattu had to be stopped.

 **Author's Note** : Thanks for reading! Well this chapter ended up being really out there. A lot of philosophy and not a lot of action. Next chapter we finally get back to the war.

My interpretation of Raava and Vattu is slightly different from the show's. Raava represents order and balance while Vattu represents chaos and change. Vattu is far more likely to destroy, but also far more likely to create something wonderful.

And finally I've finished the story! 2 chapters left. I'm going to begin posting new chapters Thurday nights rather than Friday nights. Hope that doesn't cause any problems.


	15. Chapter 12: The Last Waterbender (Pt 1)

Ash fell from the sky.

In the horizon, giant cruisers dotted the ocean, as far as the eye could see. Each one was a technological marvel, fully capable of bringing destruction to the entire Southern Water Tribe by itself.

Maybe they deserved it. He knew he wasn't alone in that thought. Somehow, he knew this was because their Prince had abandoned them. Their mistreatment, their inability to overcome old prejudices had doomed them. But.

But…

But, they'd remade the tribe in his honor. Every leader had a distinct flavor… Brought something new… Chief Hakoda, he'd wanted a tribe open to new ideas, new cultures, and because of it they'd been the first country to accept immigration. Their population had swelled as a result, and they'd grown so fast… And Sokka, he'd wanted the tribe to get smarter. Advance to and past the Fire Nation. They'd done their best, and he thought they'd achieved that vision.

They'd become the first country to fully embrace industrialization.

Would it be enough?

"Look at all those steel ships," he said, turning from the embattlement to address the worried tribesmen and women. "Think about how many years it must've taken to design, manufacture, and assemble even one of 'em? Probably took more wealth than we've got in the entire village. And each one of 'em is loaded with enough firebenders to cook us like a fish. Firebenders with years of training and hard-earned battle experience. How many waterbenders do we have?"

The crowd stared at him blankly.

"None," he said. "They outnumber us ten to one, they've got more experience than us, and they've got the power of the entire world at their fingertips. It's a country full of benders against a tiny settlement without a single drop of magic between us."

These people, his people, they'd do their best to make it through to tomorrow. Really, today wasn't that much different than any other, at least in that regard.

"But we've got something they don't," he said.

This was when he spoke about how they weren't the brightest people, they weren't the best. They were the castaways. The exiles. It had started with women from the Northern Water Tribe, transformed into poor refugees from the Earth Kingdom, and now they were even getting the Fire Nation's crumbs. This was when he told them they were special to survive in the South Pole. They were a special people, united by an unrelenting will to survive.

Yes, a rousing speech to ignite their fighting spirit. That's what Hakoda woulda' done. That's what he should…

Nah.

"Cannons."

Their Prince had left them with a gift before he'd abandoned them. An explosive so strong it could blow up an iceberg. They had used that technology to its full advantage, outfitting this small island's perimeter with cannons. There was no way on but by sea. He motioned up a little girl from the crowd, not that little mind you but small enough to make his point, and hauled her up next to one of the cannons.

"See these?" He asked the girl, nodding at a couple of cranks. "They can help you aim." He demonstrated, turning the cannon left and right and up and down. "Do you understand?"

She nodded.

"Why don't you aim it at one of the ships?"

She aimed, and adjusted with the sights until he was satisfied. He handed her a matchbox, and nodded to the fuse. She looked up at him, and he briefly took note of her gold eyes before dismissing it as unimportant.

He waited a few moments, until the ship was finally within firing range, and patted her shoulder. "Go on."

The girl lit the fuse, and it hissed and fizzled for a second. He held his breath. He knew it would explode, but could it really fell an actual cruiser? They'd done the tests, they'd run the numbers, he knew it should work. Theoretically. But what if-

The cannon roared. In the distance, an artillery shell smashed into a Fire Nation Cruiser, puncturing the hull. Experienced veterans, benders gifted by the gods themselves, finely tuned strategic minds all jumped ship, defeated by an untrained little girl. And a cannon.

His people roared.

It was probably foolish to challenge the Fire Nation. He was being a complete maniac thinking a single invention could change the tide of battle.

He just couldn't resist the urge to give this war thing a shot. Great men had never been stopped by what if. He, like all tribesmen had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. He was not put out by things like what if _this happens_ , or what if _that happens_ , he jumped into the water headfirst!

Like a fool, because everyone knew the water was cold, but he was the type of idiot who had to see for himself. He held up a hand, and motioned for all cannons to fire.

The screams of the soldiers was covered up by the barrage of exploding cannons, as a third of the Fire Nation Armada sunk to the sea floor in minutes. Their secret weapon, their only trump card, had been far more effective than what anyone could have predicted. But...

Like all fools who jumped into the water, he knew how this was going to end.

The rest of the Fire Nation Armada quickly regrouped, and distanced themselves just out of range of the Water Tribe's artillery. Of course, each Fire Nation cruiser had catapults and trebuchets of their own. They were perfectly capable of razing the Southern Water Tribe from a distance. They'd have to, if they didn't want to end up in the bottom of the ocean.

"Chief?" Asked one of his men, Hahn, as the Fire Nation loaded and prepared their artillery weapons. "Shouldn't we be doing something?"

He shook his head. "They're out of range. Don't waste ammunition."

But the Tribe grew antsy. Nervous as time passed. As each and every Fire Nation Cruiser was set to launch an artillery shell straight at them.

He used a pair of binoculars to get a look at the ship in the back. A single girl stood on the front deck, her arm raised in the air.

"If they've got better range than us we're dead," he said evenly. "If they don't we've got a shot to win this. Either way it's out of our control."

The girl slammed her hand down.

Bato stared up at the sky, covered in so much flaming artillery that it blotted out the sun, cracked a smile, and whispered to an old friend, "Well Hakoda… It looks like I'll be seeing you soon."

The flaming rock, the heavy shells, the might of the Fire Nation, all landed… Thousands of feet away, falling harmlessly in the ocean.

Those cutting edge ships that had terrorized the seas for a hundred years, that sported the flag of the most advanced civilization, that were captained by the best soldiers in the world, were now...

Relics.

XOXOXOX

"What is the plan?" Uncle asked.

"Save Azula."

"Yes," said Uncle. "But how do we do that?"

"We have to warn her."

"That is something we must do eventually," Uncle said patiently, as if he were sipping a cup of tea. "But how do we do that?"

"We have to escape!" Zuko blasted the door with a fireball. It glowed red, but was not affected otherwise. With enough fire he could melt it!

"Enough!" Uncle grabbed Zuko's arm. "Look around. What do you see?"

Four flat steel walls, and a door. A bed. What did Uncle want out of him?

Uncle softened. "What do you not see?"

His documents on the Avatar? "I don't know," Zuko admitted softly. "What am I missing?"

"The air, the oxygen inside the air." Uncle smiled tenderly. "It is easy to miss, unless you have experience imprisoning firebenders. This room has no ventilation Zuko. We must conserve what we have. It was wise though, to admit what you do not know. You are growing."

"So what are you saying?" Zuko asked. "We relax and do nothing as Azula destroys herself?"

"I am saying that it would be prudent to wait," Uncle said. "Conserve our energy, and when the opportunity presents itself, strike with everything we have."

Zuko sighed, nodded, and started to pace. But no, that wasn't what he needed to do. Relax. If he wanted to win he had to relax, do nothing.

Yes. Uncle was the master of doing nothing. He had to copy Uncle. Ponder about things and have things ponder him. Wait, that didn't make any sense. It did sound like Uncle though. What did Uncle always tell him again? He needed to consider the world around him, and consider his place in it...

It felt familiar. Walls on all sides, no windows, no frills, and an uncomfortable bed. The constant sway of the ground, the muffled sound of the engine, all that was missing was a desk and a messy pile of documents. Before he'd been obsessed with finding the Avatar. Restoring his honor had been a part of it, but so had going back home.

He had to warn her. This was Azula's first battle. The people of the Fire Nation didn't like that she was a girl, and they also didn't like that she was a psychopath. They tolerated her because she was a prodigy and a winner. But if she weren't those things she'd lose them. If she didn't inspire fear her rule would crumble. Going to the Southern Water Tribe and being defeated by savages would ruin her reputation forever.

It had been hard to separate from the Warrior. The man had been suspicious, paranoid that Zuko was going to betray them, scared that he was being led into a trap. He'd been right of course, and his vigilance had made a clean escape difficult. Luckily Katara had woken him up in the middle of the night, and let him go. He was glad about that, he hadn't been looking forward to hurting the man who'd saved his life.

After that, it had been easy to find the armada. He'd tried to find Azula, he'd tried to warn her about the cannons, but all he'd accomplished was being thrown in prison. It wasn't fair! All he'd ever done was try his best, and all it had ever gotten him was pain! Why couldn't anything ever be easy? Why did it always have to be so hard? Why? Why?

Zuko sighed. This wasn't working. He was still tense. Consuming too much. He had to relax. Find peace with himself.

Someday the world would… At some point in his past… Eventually if he…

What did he enjoy, more than anything else? How could he calm himself?

Zuko breathed in.

Zuko breathed out.

He went through the motions of firebending, without ever making a flame. In his head he didn't imagine a fight. He imagined shooting flames, as he had when he was a child, not for any purpose other than enjoyment. Appreciation of the light, of the energy, even of the danger that the fire represented. Unlike the other elements it could change on its own. Dangerous yes, but also effortlessly entertaining.

Firebending was fun. Firebending was a gift. How had he forgotten that?

Bang!

The metal groaned, and had already torn. Zuko was thrown off his feet, as the cruiser was smacked to its side by the force of the impact. One of the four walls of their room had been ruptured, creating a three foot hole surrounded by jagged bits of steel.

"Now!" Uncle said. But he needn't have said anything. Zuko was already halfway through the wreckage. This was his chance.

He'd escape. He'd find Azula. He'd protect her.

XOXOXO

"So what next, oh wise one, oh mighty genius?" Katara asked sarcastically.

Having Appa sure woulda made this easier. The problem was that they were on this dinky little canoe, and that they had to get past an entire fleet. There were as many of 'em big boats as a flock of penguin-otters and each was as large as an iceberg. His Tribe was completely and utterly screwed and it was all his fault.

He'd brought the Fire Nation to the Southern Water Tribe, just like his father before him. Not with any bending. Just by trying to blackmail the crazy bloodbending princess. No bending necessary. Turned out that acting like a total shark-whale turd could do that.

"We should wait for Aang," said Teo. When had he started calling Aang, Aang rather than the Avatar? When had they gotten so close? "It's all we can do Sokka. I'm sorry."

"No!" Sokka slapped his paddle in the ice water. "This is my fault! I have to fix this!"

"You can't," said Teo. "You made a choice Sokka. A hard one but the right one. You chose to save the Avatar even if it angered Azula. Save the world. It doesn't look good for your people, but nationalism is a primal instinct that causes people to make bad decisions and do evil things."

What did Teo know? It wasn't like Sokka had planned any of this. He'd just been focused on doing the smart thing in every situation. He'd thought Aang's plan to go to the Fire Temple had been seriously stupid, he'd thought his decision to save Ty Lee had been pure naïveté, and here he'd gone and done the dumbest thing anyone had ever done in the history of the entire tribe!

"Well," said Katara. "What do we do? How do we save Gran Gran? I can send smoke signals if that helps. I'm just throwing it out there, we can keep on brainstorming!"

Well, at least Katara hadn't given up. She always had been stubborn. "I don't…" Sokka buried his head in his hands.

"It's impossible," Teo declared. "The Fire Nation is already here. There's nothing anyone can do."

"They've defended themselves well so far," said Katara.

"But they don't have any benders," Teo said. "The Fire Nation will find a way inside, and then it'll all be over."

"Get me inside, and I can beat anyone they send."

"Don't be silly girl, what if it's Azula. There's not a man alive who could beat her!"

"Maybe not." Katara laughed. "But I could."

Not a man… Not a man. That was it!

"I've got to become a man!" Sokka said.

Katara smiled. "See. I knew you'd think of something."

Teo scratched his head. "Um guys? Am I missing something?"

There was another way onto the island. If they took a short hike across the mainland, they'd just have to navigate through jagged rocks, floating icebergs, and strong random currents and they'd be able to land on the island's shore. The Fire Nation armada was only avoiding it because they were cowards who couldn't sail. All the men in the village had done it… Well attempted it, but two had managed to succeed. One of them was his ole' man, and if he could do it, then Sokka could too.

Sokka just had to complete his rite-of-passage. Quickly. If the Fire Nation found a way through the cannons before them everything would be over.

XOXOXOX

"But they're out of our range," a puny Admiral whined, sniveling against the starboard of the command ship. "There's nothing we can do."

Azula inspected a fingernail. It had been torn in a previous fight, so she'd been forced to clip it. She realized she preferred her nails short. Trimmed of the unnecessary parts. "Then pull the slingshots back farther, crank the trebuchets one gear more. You must find a way to make the artillery reach the settlement. It's your job."

"But they can't handle the load, they'd be destroyed," the Admiral protested, trying to humiliate Azula. Trying to rob her of her rightful victory. "The slingshots and trebuchets will not allow it!"

Azula sighed. "You volunteer then? To try to sail past those ever so interesting devices these Southern Traitors have prepared for us?"

"What?" The Admiral spluttered. "Of course not! You saw what they did to our fleet. I'd be destroyed in an instant!"

"Yes," Azula agreed happily. "I suspect you would. But… It's not my fault, it's not your fault, after all, it's the slingshots and trebuchets that decide who does what in this fleet. A shame indeed."

The Admiral gulped. "I'll find a way to increase our range Princess."

"See that you do." Azula turned, to look at the little infestation ruining her battlefield coronation. These traitors were humiliating her! She couldn't lose to a backwards little outpost! Unacceptable. Unacceptable. Not even Zuko would've lost to a bunch of savages. She'd become a joke.

This would be the greatest defeat in Fire Nation history. It would be known as the war's turning point. It wouldn't be Uncle Cooky who had caused the empire's collapse, it wouldn't be her weak sickly father, everyone would look back and see her.

Why had she done this? What had possessed her? She should've known, especially after she'd lost to that fire bender, that these savages always had something up their sleeves. They'd goaded her into this. Threatening Ty Lee. A trap. A trap! She'd stepped right into it, and now she was going to lose…

Lose?

Her?

No. It couldn't happen. She could not lose. She could not lose. But. Just as the Admiral had warned, the slingshots, the trebuchets could not compete with the firing range of black powder. Trying to make them do so only caused them to explode, only hurt her own forces, only brought her closer and closer to ruin. She would not allow it.

She motioned for the Admiral. "Your stupid little ships are outdated. A change of tactics is in order. We will land on the Traitor's shores and sack the city. Alert the captains. We must go in fast. We must go in hard. All at once. They can't shoot us all down."

The Admiral gulped. He opened his mouth, thought better of it, and shut it. He glanced at the blue water between them and the Water Tribe. It was impossible to miss. Some of the soldiers had found refuge on floating bits of wood, leftover from their capsized ships. They were long dead of course, but their frozen corpses still clung to the debris. Weaklings. If they'd been competent firebenders they could have warmed themselves with their internal flames. Her armada would be stronger without those weaklings anyways.

"Princess," the Admiral said slowly, carefully. "You want us to charge in with all our ships. Is that your order?"

Azula glared. It was a brilliant plan. The man must've been a traitor or a coward. Any fool could see that victory could not be obtained by sitting and waiting. They had to act. They had to do something at least!

"Azula," Mai said. "Relax. You're not yourself."

"Traitor!" Azula trembled. "Traitor. You all hate me! You set me up, and after all I have done for your family! Your father was nothing until I promoted him! Just the captain of a small ship!"

"I didn't know Katara would go crazy," Mai said, shrugging. "All I did was help her find the Avatar. I didn't have anything to do with Ty Lee. You know that."

Azula seethed. She should've known Mai would betray her! The girl had always been silent and shifty. Always planning, with her low cunning. She was a peasant really, her family hadn't had any lineage. The only reason they'd become nobility was because her father had shuttled around Father when he'd been searching for the Avatar. You couldn't trust the poor. Always trying to move up in the world, they were almost as conniving as the wealthy, as royalty.

"Look Azula," Mai said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I don't like you."

Azula recoiled. She'd spent more time with Mai than just about anyone. Passing notes in class, playing together after school.

"And you don't like me." Mai smiled. "But we always put up with each other because of Ty Lee. They used her as a hostage." Mai squinted at the settlement in the distance. "I'd love to use their family against them. See how they like it. I want to beat them too, but your orders are going to get us all sunk. We'll lose, and Ty Lee will still be a prisoner."

Azula glared. "Are you insinuating that I'm crazy? Mad? Are you accusing your Princess of being an insane loon?"

"No. I'm saying this plan is stupid." Mai met her eyes levelly. In that calm, cool way she had. "It's something Zuko would do. Not you. You're a monster."

Yes. Yes, Mai was right. She was different from Zuko. Better. She squeezed her fingers together. She was not stubborn. She made calculated decisions, not impulsive ones. "Admiral, keep the fleet where it is. We will barricade this stronghold and starve them out. Then we will destroy each and every one of them."

The Admiral let out a breath. "Yes Princess. A wise decision." He scurried away like the bug he was. At least he knew his place.

A stream of blue fire erupted from Azula's finger, and flew by Mai's ear. "You think I'm a monster?"

Mai dusted off her hair and said nothing.

Ungrateful little girl! She'd kept Azula from making the biggest mistake of her life. But, of course, Azula didn't make mistakes. She was perfect.

"Would you like Ember Island?" Azula asked. "A reward is in order, for your excellent service."

"Ty Lee," Mai said. "I want Ty Lee back."

"Of course," Azula said. "We both do."

"Not from the savages."

"I know." Azula rolled her eyes. "We both want Ty Lee back."

"I'm afraid, Princess, that I can not allow that."

Azula narrowed her eyes. When had _he_ come aboard? "I am royalty, Chemist, you're just a sad little Air Nomad. You have no authority to override my decisions."

"I'm Fire Nation actually," said The Chemist cheerfully, walking next to Azula, and staring with gray eyes at the little island causing her so much trouble. "What a wonderful invention! Lovely really." The Chemist sniffed the air. "Charcoal. Sulfur. But mostly… Potassium Nitrate, oh how delectable! Inspiring don't you think? A beautiful love letter to the Fire Nation! Using my inventions against us!"

"Your inventions?"

"Cannons," said The Chemist. "Yes, yes, I drew up some blueprints for your uncle decades ago. We were both so young then. It was impossible, of course, for a country ruled by benders. The old Fire Lord would have never allowed it. But seeing them now, being used by the Water Tribe of all people! It's like seeing your son grow up and surpass you, don't you think? The Water Tribe is now more Fire Nation than the Fire Nation! Even as they fight us they bring us great honor!"

"Meanwhile," Azula whispered. "Your actual son, Teo, has kidnapped Ty Lee. He wants to kill her."

"He always had too much of his mother in him. It is my fault, of course, I should've known this would happen." The Chemist scratched his head. "Well. There's no other way then. Kill him. We must get Ty Lee back."

"He is your son," Azula said.

"Yes." The Chemist said slowly, like a school teacher to an especially slow student asking an exceptionally stupid question. "I am Teo's father. Neat, huh? Anyways, don't you think it's inspiring? Science, in the farthest reaches of the world!" He spun around. "Well, what are you ladies waiting for? Aren't you going to go kill them?"

"They'll blow us up," Azula said. Was this really the most brilliant inventor in the history of the world? "Sink our ships. Send us to the bottom of the ocean."

The Chemist scratched his head, looked at the island, then snapped his fingers. "Of course! I forgot to tell you." He promptly walked away. "Well? Aren't you going to follow me?"

He led them to a room full of things that looked like a cross between a boat and a bicycle.

"Jet skis," he said proudly.

"Chemist?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow. "How are these any better than our Cruisers? If we go out in these, the Water Tribe won't even need to fire on us. We'll just sink on our own."

"What?" The Chemist barked. "How dare you! Arrogant fool! You think I'm some quack! My jets run circles around these old relics. Your cruisers run on steam! Steam! Technology that's a hundred years outdated. I've written my worries so many times! Your father was never this troublesome! He was always interested in what I had to say. He read my books wherever he went, kept note of my concern with coal, he agreed that we should switch to oil!"

Azula rolled her eyes. "How will these help us get past the cannons?"

The Chemist hopped on his toes. "Internal. Combustion. Engine. It's the way of the future. Generates power much more quickly than those old steam cycles. You're gonna be able to go from zero to thirty in moments, make hairpin turns, and you're not gonna be as large and inelegant as these old pieces of junk." He knocked against the steel walls of the ship.

Well. Azula supposed he was the most brilliant scientist in the world after all. It would feel good to crush the traitors with her own hands. "Good job Chemist. We'll make use of these at once. We'll land on their little island, and destroy them for all time!"

"Yes, yes," the Chemist hummed happily. "Very good, very good. I know you and Ty Lee were close. But remember, the Fire Nation must come first. Friendship, love, they come and go. I invented these skis after a woman broke my heart. But in only a short while I found another, one as beautiful as the decay of Uranium, and I was sure that this would be the true love of my life. Eventually, she left me too. But the Fire Nation, it is not so fickle. I have always been a loyal servant to it, and it has always rewarded me. Duty can not wait, Princess, not even a day."

Azula simply nodded. She already knew all this, but there was nothing wrong with a reminder. She would not fail again. If the Avatar threatened Ty Lee again, she would not fold.

"And Mai," said The Chemist. "Is your mother still with that loser Ukano?"

Mai frowned.

"Drats," said The Chemist. "She was quite a brilliant mind once. Always spoke her mind. She was never content being a silent Fire Nation lady, she was the first woman accepted into the Royal Fire Nation Academy you know, I always wondered why she chose to become a housewife."

"What?" Asked Mai, as stunned as Azula had ever seen her. "You're kidding."

Boring drabble, unworthy of her attention. Azula snapped for some servants, and had them haul the jet skis into the water. In moments the engines had roared to life. Azula straddled the seat, and pressed the throttle all the way down.

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for reading! Things are about to go very, very wrong.


	16. Chapter 12: The Last Waterbender (Pt 2)

Sokka squinted. He could barely make out the Southern Water Tribe's flag through the icy haze. About a mile away. All that stood between them was an ice field. Half ocean half land, there were little crevices between the floating icebergs, streams of water between them, but- the wind howled- the icebergs swayed and two crushed together. The path always changed. Move too slowly, and the icebergs around you would collide, leaving you crushed, frozen, and really, really dead. Like, super dead. Completely dead. As dead as a long penguin-otter. As dead as a...

The point wasn't really to make it to the end. It was to jump in headfirst. In a normal rite-of-passage the boy was given a rope to hold, and hauled back when his canoe collapsed. It was rare for a boy to make it through the ice field, but not impossible.

"Your father did this," Katara said, patting him on the shoulder. "You can too."

Right. The ole' mad had done this before, that was why he was Chief. But, seeing the squirreling currents made Sokka wonder. "How? How, did he do it?"

"Probably by waterbending," Katara said.

Huh? Oh, she'd thought he was talking about Hakoda. But just like she'd said, he'd probably just used bending. Sokka got out a scroll, and started mapping out possible paths. How things might change with the wind. Trying to predict every possibility just like the ole' man had taught him.

"It sure would be nice," Katara said. "If we had a waterbender."

"But we don't," Sokka snapped. Katara flinched. "We don't need one anyways. Teo, you're going to be on paddles. Katara, you work the sails. I also might need you to blast apart some icebergs. I'm going to be giving out instructions. If we work together, we can do this. Are you with me?"

Teo nodded. Katara looked through the icy haze. At the settlement. She turned to Sokka, and stared. He waited a moment. But she didn't say yes. She didn't nod. What if she didn't want to save them?

He needed to know. He had to know. Why had she left? Was she still family? Could he trust her?

But he wasn't brave enough. He kicked the canoe, and the three of them jumped in.

"Left," Sokka barked at the first fork in the ice field. Teo paddled hard, and they drifted past the iceberg. Teo stared at it in wonder. Sokka couldn't imagine why. It was just an ordinary, floating hunk of ice, the type you saw everyday. Katara certainly wasn't impressed, she was juggling a fireball. "Eyes up front."

Everything was going well. According to plan. The winds hadn't really picked up, except for a few slight breezes. Sokka was able to deftly maneuver them through the field, adjusting for the slight changes in the path. This was normal, normal, if you prepared and planned well enough there didn't have to be any unexpected challenges. Any obstacles. They'd made it through most of the ice field already and through Sokka's careful planning and navigation, they'd avoided all the serious obstacles. This just might work!

"Right," Sokka said, and Teo paddled them past the largest iceberg they'd encountered yet. Sokka glanced at his map. They'd be fine. Past here, there was nothing that challenging. There were icebergs sure, but the water got colder, and the currents weren't strong. Everything became easy to predict. They'd make it through. It wasn't just wishful thinking. The hard part was over. Preparation and strategy were valued for a reason.

Katara smirked. "Too slow. I bet the Fire Nation is burning your tribe to the ground right now."

No. No flames cut through the haze. If the tribe was burning he'd know. It would be kinda hard to miss. Why had she even brought it up- wait- "Katara no!"

"I'll make us go faster." Katara blasted the iceberg behind them with dual flames, as thick and as hot as a dragon's. It melted almost instantly, and their boat rocketed forward. And see, Sokka was a man of science. There were only a few things that could cause water to move: salinity, pressure, and temperature. Dumping a ton of boiling freshwater in a salt water ocean, yeah that was gonna cause some problems.

The icebergs in front of them, once as static as a solid, now jiggled like electrons in a plasma. "Katara!" Sokka yelled. "Firebend! Firebend! Blast apart the icebergs in front of us!"

Katara looked at him. Smirked. Held up her hands.

Oh no.

"Teo," Sokka barked, grabbing the sails. "Left."

But the iceberg danced with them. He'd given bad instructions, they needed to go right, but their momentum was… No time for words, no time for fronts of trust, Sokka pushed Katara out of the way, and caught the wind with the sail. It knocked them over, and water spilled in from the side, pooling by their feet. They slipped past the iceberg, and hurdled to another.

"Left!"

"What about the water?" Teo glanced back at him. The boat had sunk just a bit, now every wave added to a growing collection of ice water pooling underneath their feet, causing them to dip lower and lower, sink faster and faster. "Sokka?"

"Left!" Sokka set his jaw, and caught the wind. Teo nodded and paddled.

Katara sat at the back of the boat. Doing nothing. Watching. Smirking. "It's not going to work you know. Not without a bender."

Sokka ignored her. Kept sailing. Kept paddling. Kept sinking. Until they couldn't anymore, and the boat, weighed down by water, sunk below the ocean's surface, and dropped like a stone. Then they swam. His lungs burned when they came to shore, but it was Teo who was in trouble. He didn't have furs.

"Warm him up!" Sokka barked, hugging Teo, covering him in furs. It wasn't enough. The boy was freezing.

"He'll only slow us down," Katara argued. "Leave him behind."

She was right. One man for a tribe. It wasn't worth it. They had to leave him behind, that was what logic dictated. It's what Sokka himself would do, but Katara would insist…

She'd say…

"Let's go Sokka," Katara said.

Aang though, he'd give Sokka the whole 'Life is Precious' nonsense bit. Crazy. But the boy was the Avatar, and he'd get all hormonal and moody if Sokka let Teo die.

"Katara," Sokka said. "Save him. He's family."

Katara rolled her eyes. Complied.

Sokka held up a waterlogged fur, while Katara warmed it. He wrapped it around the shivering Air Nomad. His lips were blue, his skin pale, hair frozen.

"Make it, make it, make it!" Sokka murmured. He held up the fur, and Katara rewarmed it. "C'mon Teo. C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"

Teo blinked his eyes open. Sokka let out a breath.

Katara nodded at Sokka. "He's fine. Let's go!" Katara sprinted ahead. Teo held Sokka back.

"She tried to kill us," Teo said.

"She tried to save the tribe," Sokka corrected.

"I know she's your sister, so this must be hard," Teo said. "Don't be fooled. Maybe she doesn't know science, but all benders have an intuitive understanding of their element. She knew exactly what she was doing."

Sokka ignored his words and followed Katara's fading footprints. Chased after his sister. Just like always, she'd jumped headfirst into the water.

"I know she's family," Teo said. "But even family can betray you."

Maybe… But not Katara. Not Katara. Not Katara. He caught up to her. "Um…"

"Gran-Gran first Sokka, we've got to find her!"

Sokka let out a breath. Maybe she'd been hardened, but she was still the same caring sister underneath all the ice.

It didn't take them long to reach the tribe. Igloos. Huts. Lamps. Wells. Drying jerky on lines. Even if this was just a temporary position, it still reminded Sokka of home. The only difference was the… The…

The giant Fire Nation Flag flying over everything. They'd been under the Fire Nation's control for most of Sokka's life, but the flag had always been of a phoenix. Now the phoenix was gone, replaced by a rising sun.

They were too late. Sokka rushed through the camp. Nobody. Nobody. No, no, no! Anybody. Anybody! He picked up a doll. Battered. Trampled.

And then he heard something. An imperious voice, silky and smooth and perfect. And also another. Older. Reliable. Warm. Safe. "...The cannons are pretty cool right?" It asked.

Sokka rushed towards it, like a moth-fly to a flame.

"Yes. A surprise. After I've razed you to the ground our scientists will recreate them."

And he found everyone at the front of the camp, right by the battlements, where a lesser commander would have thought they'd be most vulnerable. But not the ole' man. He'd always been wily.

"But why go through the trouble? Would it not be easier to defeat me in a duel, and have the Tribe's compliance once again. All our secrets can be yours. If you burn us to the ground you lose everything."

Only a clever Water Tribe Warrior would have brought his people with them.

"True. Perhaps a duel would be more rational. But you have betrayed the Fire Nation. We can not let rebellion go unpunished."

Sokka climbed the hills of ice, the tribesmen parting before him. Whispering. Crying. Scared and frightened. They were his people and he'd find a way to save them. He was home again.

"My fault. My fault," said the ole' man Bato. And Sokka could finally see the 'ole man, covered in war paint. Like the heroes of legends past. "I was the one who found the Avatar. I was the one who copied your technology. This rebellion is because of me. Fight me Princess. One-on-one."

The ole' man had done none of the things he'd confessed. Sokka had.

Azula laughed. "No, I think-"

"No," Sokka squeaked. He ran. Found himself clutching the man that all the others saw as chief. The man who'd held him after his father had been killed and his mother had disappeared into the tundra. The man who'd shown him how to hunt, how to think, how to lead… The ole' man had always been… "She'll kill you. She'll kill you dad."

Sokka blushed. The word had slipped out, but he'd always wanted to say it…

"What are you doing here boy?" his 'ole man smiled. "...The ice fields. You went through them, huh?"

No. This couldn't happen. Not to his ole' man. Everyone acted like he was a stopgap. Because he didn't come from some famous family, because he wasn't some skilled bender, because he didn't have a genius mind. He was a good chief, but he was nothing special.

No wars. Continuous growth. Peace. Prosperity. Fair rule. That's all they'd known under his 'ole man's leadership. He'd been the one Sokka had always looked up too, had always wanted to be like someday.

"You're a man now, huh?" His 'ole man scruffed Sokka's hair. "Good. I'd like you to become the next chief after… Well, you know."

"But Katara," Sokka begged. "Katara can fight instead. She's a bender, a good one too. She can take your place! Go on Katara! Show everyone how strong you've gotten. Save us! Save us."

Katara patted his shoulder. Tried to pull him back into the crowd. Sokka refused to budge.

"This is your chance Katara," Sokka said. "You can be a hero! Like you always wanted remember! You're special!"

"Sokka…" his 'ole man said.

No. No! He could remember his father being burned alive. His mother wandering off into the tundra. He wouldn't let it happen again. It couldn't happen again. He'd give up his soul, his spirit itself, to prevent it! He'd already done it, he'd given it up for years, so why was this happening?

Azula cleared her throat. "I graciously accept your challenge to a one-on-one _duel_. But I'd like to add a condition." Her sneer was pure malice. "There will be no surrender. This… _Duel,_ is to the death." She turned, so her gold eyes could bore into his blue ones. "I look forward to working with you, _Prince Sokka_."

"You can have Ty Lee," Sokka cried, begging. "I'll find a way to get her-"

Katara dragged him away, and Azula and the ole' man shook hands. It was done. Done.

Sokka couldn't watch. He couldn't look away. He simply hoped. Prayed, wished, pleaded, and begged for the man who'd raised him to make it out okay. She could burn him, hurt him bad, cripple him even, just don't kill him. Don't kill him. Please don't kill him.

Azula was still staring at him. His 'ole man got out his spear, and, oh this wasn't good, he was holding it like he was hunting a polar-bear-dog. Had he ever even fought somebody before? Like really fought, not just a scrap but a true death battle? Not a chance, not his ole' man, he'd never try and kill a fellow tribesman. Katara's hand tightened around his.

His ole' man lunged, Azula side-stepped it, and swept him off his feet. His ole' man rushed to his spear, crawling on all fours. Azula's gold eyes bored into Sokka's, her expression frigid, her hands tucked behind her back. Slowly she raised three fingers, and closed one. "Two more."

Sokka stiffened. What was she playing at?

His ole' man climbed to his feet, breathing hard. He was sure to come up with some clever little strategy, but it… It probably wouldn't work. A non-bender just didn't have much of a chance against a bender. It wasn't fair, but it was reality.

His ole man's knuckles whitened around his spear. "Do you know General Iroh?"

"He is my father's brother," Azula said stiffly.

"He killed my best friend," his ole' man said, circling around Azula. Sokka saw him discreetly reach for something in his pocket, as he tried to distract Azula with his words. "Burned him to death nice and slow. I've never hated anyone as much as I hated him. If it hadn't been for my duty to my tribe, I'd have tried to kill him. Wouldn't have done me any good, he'd have killed me without thinking twice, but I'd have tried anyways, ya know?"

"He's not here." Azula smiled, her eyes still on Sokka. "But if you kill me Iroh will surely suffer as a result. Revenge by proxy. It must surely feel… Absolutely delightful."

"No," his ole' man said firmly. "Revenge is foolish and selfish. The only thing I regret is all those years of hatred. How I let that bitterness affect how I treated those around me. I've hurt people because of it. I… I know now, that Hakoda would have called my obsession pathetic. He was never a hateful man. He did not hate Iroh. I do not hate you, Princess Azula, no matter what you do to me. Do you understand?"

"No," said Azula. The question hadn't been for her, but Sokka didn't get it either.

"Perhaps you will." His ole' man chuckled. "When you rule."

"Look away," Katara whispered. "Close your eyes brother!"

But Sokka kept his eyes wide open. He always tried too, even now, even as his stomach sunk like a rock. He'd figured out what his ole' man had planned. It was cunning, wily, and clever, it was exactly what Sokka would've done. It wouldn't work.

His ole' man threw his spear with all his might, Azula slid out of the way, and his ole' man threw a handful of- Azula had sent a stream of blue fire at him as she'd dodged, and it connected with the ole' man's fist, igniting all the blackpowder he held.

The explosion was loud and bright, and for a moment all Sokka saw was white, and all he heard was a low whine. But slowly his vision started to return, he heard a low groan, and the outline of his ole' man formed. He'd lost an arm, and half his face had charcoaled like a… Like a burnt steak. That's what they all were afterall, just meat. Even his ole' man.

Azula walked towards his ole' man slowly, hands erupting in blue flames.

And his ole' man, he was whining. Crying. Making noises that Sokka had never heard before, never wanted to hear again. He was dying. His body had curled up on the snow. He was shaking now. Probably wasn't aware of anything, other than the… The… Pain… His ole' man was suffering.

Azula stared down at his ole' man. He'd been told that General Iroh had killed his father slowly., burning him bit by bit. He'd always known it was a horrible way to die, but he'd never really understood.

His ole' man could say what he wanted, but Sokka would never forgive-

Lightning flashed, thunder roared, and his ole' man stilled.

"It's done," Azula murmured. "I've won." She looked down her nose at the Tribe. "You belong to the Fire Nation now. I can do as I wish with you. I should punish all of you for this little rebellion. Killing the leader didn't work last time after all." She nodded at his ole' man's corpse. "But my Uncle was… Excessive. I take no pleasure in killing. I want power. I want to rule the world. I do not need to destroy you." She turned to Sokka. "You are clever. You used my weakness against me. We can work together. Come Chief, let's negotiate your tribe's surrender."

Sokka stared at his ole' man. Static. Lifeless. It was…

Life was sacred.

His ole' man, he must've done the same thing. Worse really. After General Iroh had slaughtered his best friend in front of him, he'd found the strength to put aside his feelings and do what was best for the tribe. Bow to a monster. For duty. For family.

Sokka tried to agree, but he couldn't find the words. He tried to move, but he couldn't stop trembling.

"Well," Princess Azula said testily. "Do you surrender?"

Sokka nodded numbly.

"Then come," Princess Azula said, taking a few paces. She turned and glared. "Well?"

Sokka stumbled forward. Couldn't see too well. Everything blurry. Wiped eyes. Someone grabbed shoulder.

"No," Teo said, shaking him. "Leave this to me. Your dad just died. Duty can wait… Just a day... Duty can wait, just a day."

His ole' man, he hadn't moved. Made sense. He was dead. He was dead. He was dead. He was dead.

"You should be with your family," Teo said. "Leave this to me."

"Unless you want the tribe totally destroyed," Azula said. "Someone is going to have to negotiate terms."

"You're interim chief," Sokka mumbled. Teo was smart, maybe smarter than Sokka. Probably the only person in the entire tribe who wasn't emotionally compromised. And he was family.

"You're a good guy." Teo patted Sokka's back, and followed after Azula. "Go to your sister."

Sokka stumbled to Katara. She was hugging him.

"I'm sorry Sokka," Katara met his eyes. "But I need to tell you something."

She needed to tell him something… The tribe, they didn't look sad enough… The elders, they looked sad, but some of the youngsters were smiling. How could they, when they'd just lost the best Chief they'd ever have? No… No they were just relieved to be alive… They must've thought… Well when they'd seen the Fire Nation Armada it must've seemed like certain death. They had the correct reaction. It was a miracle that they'd escaped with only one loss. No, calling it a miracle was an insult.

His ole' man had sacrificed himself for the tribe. That's why they were still alive.

"I'd like to explain why I left," Katara said, her brow set. "But not here…"

Sokka followed after Katara in a daze. Away from the tribe. Away from everyone.

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for reading. In the next part of the story, things start to go really sideways when The Last Waterbender finally emerges.


	17. Chapter 12: The Last Waterbender (Pt 3)

**Author's Note:** Thanks for reading! Sorry about the late post, my favorite NFL team played in a crazy game last night and I totally forgot about everything. Anyways, welcome to the beginning of the end.

* * *

Katara fought off a smile. It was happening. It was finally happening! Bato was dead, and Sokka had always seen him as a father. If she wasn't careful, if she said the wrong thing, Sokka might lose himself forever.

She'd have to plan this well, but she'd been preparing for this since the time she'd bent her first flame. Iroh, Azula, Ozai, Bumi, even the Avatar himself were all just practice. Warm up katas. It was time to fight the only battle that actually mattered.

She'd save him this time, from Sokka's science! After all these years she'd finally get to meet him again.

The Last Waterbender.

* * *

It was his fault. It was all his fault. He'd threatened Azula. He'd brought the Fire Nation's wrath. Not Katara's firebending. His scheming. His conniving. His manipulations. His arrogance. His selfishness.

Sokka was missing something. A part of himself, which he'd denied years ago. A part of the world he refused to acknowledge. A responsibility he'd refused to take on.

His dad was dead.

He looked up.

Flat gold eyes stared at him, and somehow… Somehow, her eyes had always seemed old and wary, even when she was a kid, even when she was happy. If she'd ever been happy. How much did he really know about his sister? Had he ever taken the time to look at the world through her eyes? Had he ever looked at it from a perspective other than his own?

"I left because of you," Katara said. "Your rejection was too painful. The others could be mean, they could be cruel, but they never understood anything. They didn't understand what it was like to be different. My father was a villain, your's was a hero, you were a prince, I was a pariah, and in a strange way we understood each other. Similar, but opposite. I am a firebender, and you are a…"

"You're not a firebender Katara," Sokka said. She'd led him onto a frozen lake. Sokka thought he knew why. He accepted it. He was prepared. He would teach his sister the truth, no matter what it took. Maybe this was the only way to make her understand. He knew she felt the same way. They knew each other perfectly, as well as two people could know each other, but they shared no understanding. "I never rejected you."

Her gold eyes flashed anger and fury and rage. No, not _her_ eyes, those were just a manifestation of her firebending. Her bending controlled her, fueled her hatred, caused her isolation. Bending could be a great gift, or a terrible curse.

Like any other talent. He'd killed his dad with his own intelligence.

"Sokka," Katara said softly. "I was rejected by everyone since the moment I was born. Do you really think I cared that you rejected me? You telling me to hide my firebending, it always made sense. It always seemed reasonable. It didn't hurt. I loved my ability to bend. What hurt was that you always saw your gift as a curse."

Two jets of fire melted the ice under his feet.

"Accept who you are Sokka!"

He fell into the water feet first. It was cold. Freezing. The heat from Katara's flames had cracked the ice, and a sheet had already floated above him. He smacked it desperately.

Katara smiled at him through the ice. She didn't think he was in any danger. She mouthed one word at him.

"Waterbend."

Sokka kept on pounding the ice.

"Waterbend," Katara mouthed again.

Sokka shook his head, and kept pounding the ice.

Katara frowned.

Sokka still refused. He always would. He was a nonbender, just like his ole' man before him. It was his choice. His choice!

He chose who he was, just like everyone else. Just like Katara had, even if she'd always refused to accept it.

"You are The Last Waterbender!" Katara screamed through the ice.

No.

He was Sokka: the meat, sarcasm, and science guy. Someday, he hoped Katara could find out who she was as well. He thought back to the first day, all those years ago, when he'd discovered she could firebend.

* * *

The moon pushed. The moon pulled. The universe changed.

Sokka put out the flame with a splash of water. As always, when he waterbent, a memory echoed in his mind.

"I can keep it a secret Kya!" The man's voice was so confident, not a hint of ego, just pure joy. Bending was intoxicating, it made you feel powerful and special obviously, but the far larger attraction was the closeness to the universe, to one's own soul and spirit. An understanding that transcended reason, logic, and age. All an illusion. Magic couldn't give you wisdom.

 _Impressive. It's been months since I've heard from you._

But it could make you hear voices. It was dangerous. His father, a man who everyone said had been cunning and selfless, had risked his entire tribe like a selfish child. General Iroh, who had been so kind afterwards, had revelled in the power his bending gave him and used it for murder. Maybe it wasn't always that extreme, but if you went to a normal non bender, and asked them about themselves you'd hear varied, long, and well thought out answers. If you went to a bender and asked them you'd learn that they were a bender. A waste, figuring out who you were was one of the most important discoveries a person could ever make. Bending ruined people.

Katara had had a tough life. Tougher than Sokka's. He couldn't protect her from the tribe, he couldn't protect her from the Fire Nation, but he could at least protect her from the biggest challenge she'd ever face: the curse of bending. The curse of the gifted. All paths narrowed into one.

Katara was staring at him in wonder. Like he was a god. It was only a matter of time until that gaze reflected on herself. Until she thought she was a special. Until she allowed bending to corrupt her completely.

"Katara," Sokka said. "Nobody can know. Do you understand?"

It was clear by the look on her face that she didn't.

He would make her understand. He would be harsh and strict and make her understand. He would do anything to make her understand. It was more important than the tribe, it was more important than his sister's love, it was more important than his life.

But no matter what he tried, no matter how long he tried, he couldn't.

Katara kept her eyes shut.

* * *

Why wasn't Sokka waterbending? Why? Why? Why?

Katara pounded the ice. Tried to scratch and claw and make him do what she wanted. She'd known he had some reservations about bending, that he had good reasons for hating it, but he was simply wrong. He was wrong, he was wrong, he was wrong!

Bending was a good thing. Firebending had been the only good thing that _had ever happened to her._

No. It didn't matter. Sokka could keep believing his lie, she wanted him back. She drew on her firebending, but in that moment, she couldn't find her breath, she couldn't find her energy, and even her anger abandoned her. Instead all she found was shame. Horror. Sadness.

Had she just… She'd just… With firebending…

She'd thought that when his life was on the line he'd use bending to save himself, but did he even know how anymore? He'd always said he was a nonbender, he'd always acted like he was a nonbender, what if it had become the truth?

No!

No!

She was refused to accept it. Not until Sokka started to sink into the water, and as her brother disappeared into the depths of the lake, the truth emerged bright and clear.

She'd killed her own brother with firebending.

No. Not yet! Not yet! There had to be a way to save him. There had to be!

 _Open your eyes Katara._

And Katara finally did.

She saw the truth in her reflection, until it cracked with the ice, and something broke inside her.

* * *

Bending was a choice. His father, Hakoda, had chosen to be a waterbender.

But Sokka was like his true dad, Bato.

A nonbender. He felt the push and pull of the moon. He ignored it.

He stopped smacking the ice. The lake was cold, so cold. It numbed.

Did Katara understand? She looked like a blur through the ice. He couldn't really see her. He would never know. He stopped struggling, letting the water take him down, down, down. Deeper and deeper.

His lungs burned. The moon disappeared. He struggled, he tried to breathe, he choked on ice water. A brief gasp for life.

Futile.

The world got cold. Dark. Thoughts got slooooooow. Fffffffffffffaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd...


	18. Chapter 13 - Open Eyes (Part 1)

**Author's Note:** Luiz 4200, this is not a coincidence. Katara has always tried to differentiate herself from the tribe. They rejected her so she rejected them, consciously and subconsciously. If you reread chapter 1 there are plenty of tidbits that show that while the tribe did ostracize Katara she never made any attempt to break her isolation. It starts with Katara refusing to join a conversation with two girls. Katara blames social convention, but it was her choice. She rejects the Watertribe just as they reject her. From their values to their technology to their… Well, you'll see. Thanks for the review, and buckle up! If you couldn't tell from the title, things are about to get crazy!

XOXOXOXO

 _Last time on The First Firebender…_ Had she just… She'd just… With firebending…

She'd thought that when his life was on the line he'd use bending to save himself, but did he even know how anymore? He'd always said he was a nonbender, he'd always acted like he was a nonbender, what if it had become the truth?

No!

No!

She was refused to accept it. Not until Sokka started to sink into the water, and as her brother disappeared into the depths of the lake, the truth emerged bright and clear.

She'd killed her own brother with firebending.

No. Not yet! Not yet! There had to be a way to save him. There had to be!

 _Open your eyes Katara._

And Katara finally did.

She saw the truth in her reflection, until it cracked with the ice, and something broke inside her.

XOXOXOX

Her brother was gone. He'd disappeared too far into the lake, and faded from view. All she saw now, was her own reflection staring back at her through the shattered ice. For the first time ever the truth was as clear as water.

Katara's eyes were blue.

Why? Why? Why were her eyes blue? Why was she finally like all the other tribesmen? Why now?

 _You opened your eyes._

No, no, no! She didn't understand, her eyes were gold! They'd been gold since the moment she was born! That's how everyone knew she was Fire Nation. That's why she was Fire Nation, everyone knew it was so, everyone told her!

 _Don't lie. Your eyes have always been blue._

Katara wanted to deny it. But she felt the push and pull of the moon. She felt the water, cold and rigid beneath her feet, stretching and sticking underneath that. She felt a spiritual connection with water that she'd never felt with fire. Why? Why was this so much more?

 _Because you are a waterbender Katara. Water is your element. Not fire. That belongs to another. It always has._

No! It couldn't be true! But… But she'd always been the most defensive firebender, the most fluid. She'd fought with such a strange style, that made use of the transition between offense and defense, the _change_ in a fight… Because… Because...

It wasn't important, Sokka was drowning, and she had to save him. She rearranged the ice, melting it intuitively, the water responding to her more easily than fire ever had. Her brother was deep in the cold lake, and dying, she didn't have time to jump in and save him. But perhaps, perhaps there was a way.

She'd been told all her life about Hama, the most powerful waterbender who had ever lived, and her signature technique: Bloodbending. But it was only possible during the night of a full moon, and it wasn't yet night, and even if it had been the moon would have been empty. It should have been impossible. She was a novice waterbender with no training and no experience.

She felt the warm water in her brother, she felt the energy inside him fading. She pushed the energy away from his body, replaced it with her own, and pulled him up through the water. She rushed to him, felt him, he was cold and he wasn't breathing, she had to warm him, had to warm him. She let him drop, switched to fire, and banished the cold from his body. Wake up, wake up! Why wasn't he waking up? Why?

Oh yeah. He wasn't breathing. Which meant he was already…

Already…

She had to find a healer. The tribe had modern medicine. Maybe Sokka's science could save him. She had to hurry, had to hurry, hurry back home. Gran-Gran would know what to do. Whenever they'd come home hurt she'd patched them right up! Katara switched to water with one half, switched to fire with another, blasted the ice in front of her with fire, held Sokka in the air with bloodbending, refroze the ice, and skated over it as fast as she could. Faster, she had to be faster. She held both hands behind her, and used twin streams of fire as propellant.

She had to hurry, she had to hurry. Maybe all the decisions she'd made, all her struggles, all her villainy, maybe it had all been for nothing, but through it all she'd become the strongest. It had to mean something. It had to mean something. It had to...

Finally she arrived back home.

"I need a healer," Katara cried. "I need a doctor! Save him! Save my brother!"

"Who are you?" A tribesman asked. That arrogant ass, Hahn. "What have you done with our chief?"

"I'm Katara! Sokka needs a doctor, he's dying!"

"Why are your eyes blue?"

"Because I'm watertribe, duh! Now hurry it up!" They didn't have time for this! Sokka was dying! Didn't they love him down here? Why weren't they springing to action?

"He's obviously dead," Hahn said, staring at her brother. "Who did this Katara?"

"Azula," Katara said quickly. Why had she said that? Sokka was still alive, so why had she lied? "The Princess. The one that just killed our chief!"

Hahn glanced at Azula. Hadn't she been negotiating terms with Teo, just when had the two of them gotten back? How soon? How could she work it to her advantage?

No, no, no! It didn't matter! Sokka was still alive! Still alive!

"I'll avenge him," Katara found herself saying. Out of sheer habit. She'd done this so many times. Find the strongest bender and fight them, it was more natural than breathing. "You and me Azula. One-on-one. Let's go!"

Azula stared at her. "No."

"You scared?" Katara asked, her voice jeering and mocking. She'd experimented, and she knew from past results that her exact tone was the best for enraging an opponent. "Now that I can waterbend, you must know that you're no match!"

"Perhaps," Azula said, walking towards Sokka. She felt his neck and sighed. "You killed him didn't you?"

Katara shook.

"Eventually, I'd like to become like you," Azula said. "Every single day, since the moment I was born, I had only one hurdle between me and absolute power. Father has always favored me, but he refused to name me his heir. I knew why. I had to kill Zuzu to earn my birthright. Every single day, I've known. Yet I made no move. Did you know Katara, that my mother murdered Firelord Azulon? For that she was sentenced to death. Father named me the executioner. Zuzu tried to stop it." To Katara horror, Azula's voice grew warm. Compassionate. Even the Princess had more humanity than her. "For that he was banished. I can not kill Zuzu. I love him." Azula stroked Sokka's cheek. "Did you not love your brother? Is that how you were able to kill him?"

"I love my brother."

"Then how, how were you able to kill him?"

How? Wasn't it obvious?

The corpse dropped to the ground.

"Because I'm a monster."

Katara attacked.


	19. Chapter 13 - Open Eyes (Part 2)

**Author's Note:** Thanks for the review Luiz 4200! Katara could waterbend throughout the story, but was prevented from doing so because of her subconscious rejection of the Water Tribe. She was unaware of this, however, similar to how Aang had so much trouble learning to earthbend in cannon. To be helpful, Vattu was pointing out to Katara that she could just waterbend her way out of problems throughout the story, but Katara refused or did not understand what he was telling her to do.

And with that, buckle up and get ready for some fights.

XOXOXOX

Azula dodged the flamestrike, but slipped on the smooth sheet of ice Katara had created below. Azula was on the ground, and Katara didn't give her any time to recover, pummeling her with fire. The nuisance rolled away from one strike, then another. Katara looked down her nose at the princess, she was flailing around. Gasping for life. Like a fish out of water. It was about time to flay her.

Katara melted the ice, and Azula sunk down. Katara let out a breath, cooling the water around the princess, letting it refreeze. Blue flames shot out at her, but Katara wiped them away with a grand orange maelstrom.

The princess didn't look so smug now. Not that it mattered. Not that anything mattered anymore.

"Please," the princess begged. "Our peace, if you harm me, it will all be over. My armada will destroy your tribe."

"Good," Katara said. She wound up a lightning bolt. Separated hate and love in her body, and- A knife crossed her face, and Katara was forced to throw the bolt into the sky. "Mai." She hissed.

Mai gave her a calculated look. "Why are you doing this?"

Sokka's lips were pale blue. His furs half frozen. He was dead, and Katara had nobody to blame but-

Katara attacked.

She tossed a fireball at Mai, blocked a couple knives with ice, and then blasted her only friend into oblivion.

Mai quivered on the ground. She'd ducked into the snow, which was why she was still alive. Her back was covered in blackened ash, burnt in a cobweb like pattern. Katara refroze Mai, encasing her in ice.

"We've won," Katara spat, turning on the tribe. "The Fire Nation is defeated. It was a Chief-on-Chief battle. I defeated Princess Azula."

"Come now. This is a good thing." The tribe stared at her. Even the warriors wept, where were Qeorvik and Han? Hiding? Didn't matter. Disgust, misery, and fear, it was written on the faces of each and every member of the tribe. Good. It was clear to her now, Kya had never been a waterbender. She could have only gotten her magic from her father, Chief Hakoda. Turned out she wasn't the bastard daughter of some Fire Nation soldier, she was Water Tribe royalty. This was her tribe. She could do with them what she wanted, and what she wanted was to throw them away. "Oh? Do you not like me being Chief?" She tried to smile, but it came out mangled. "Does anyone object?"

"I do," said a tribesman Katara had never seen before. A foreign energy pushed her chi aside, and Katara felt her back curl. Her legs were bent, as she was forced to bow. Another bloodbender?

Katara's grin was truly savage. Good! Great! What fun! What a challenge! She'd never killed a waterbender before!

Instead of trying to reclaim the energy in her body, she pushed aside the energy in the enemy's body. She focused on the neck. Started to twist, and twist. Suddenly she was free again. She advanced on the waterbender, as he clawed at his neck, as he tried to free himself from her control. She let him have it.

Then she blasted him with a fireball. Easy, waterbenders were too easy. All defense! Why hadn't he gone after her neck? The moment she'd gone on the offensive, the battle had been as good as won.

Katara advanced on Azula, letting the foreign waterbender's corpse smolder behind her. She thought of bending: all her love for the only art form she'd ever truly appreciated, all her hate for the magic which had ruined her completely, and let the dual emotions separate the flame inside her. Sparks crackled around her.

The Princess looked away.

Lightning flashed. Thunder roared. And Prince Zuko came hurtling in from nowhere to redirect the blow. Followed as always by the snivelling General Iroh, who melted the ice around Azula. Three-on-one, should be fun. Maybe they could get Bumi and The Blind Bandit. The three strongest firebenders in the world, the two strongest earthbenders, all against her. It would almost make the fight fair.

Someone threw a snowball at General Iroh. "You killed my son you bastard!"

Katara threw a fireball at the old lady. "Stay out!"

General Iroh stared at her. Half his lip was upturned, and his eyes were cold and full of disgust. It was a strange look coming from the man, something Katara would have to get used to. Contempt from the good guys. "Do not attack your grandmother!"

"Oh," Katara said. "What can you do about it?"

"I gave you your bending," said General Iroh. "I can take it back."

"No." Katara sneered. "You can't."

The entire royal family attacked her at once. Three flames, from the three most powerful firebenders on the planet. Katara pushed up a pile of snow. Put out their flames, and bent the water forward, showering everyone in little droplets of rain.

She took a breath. Separated the energy inside her, and let loose a bolt of lightning. Zuko absorbed it, and pointed it back at Katara. The little water droplets though, well they had another thought in mind. See, lightning followed water, you didn't even have to bend to make it do so. Bending took time. Electricity didn't. So if you bent lightning in a downpour all you'd be able to do was electrocute yourself.

"No!" Azula screamed, and ran to her brother. Her hand glowed, and she brought it to Zuko's heart. Target practice. Katara struck her back with a fireball, and the princess collapsed on top of her _beloved older brother_. The one she couldn't kill, not even for power. Weakling.

"Thanks for the lesson on lightning bending," Katara jeered. "I couldn't have killed you without it!"

"I should have let you freeze when I found you as a baby." General Iroh fell to his knees. "I was a fool! I should have known not to make a deal with _Him_."

Whatever. Katara struck him down with the bending he had given her. She tapped her foot in the snow. The tribe was quiet as expected. She checked the armada. Nothing. Scratched her head. Well? Well!

She was the strongest person in the world. She'd achieved her life's goal. She'd avenged her father. Shouldn't she feel something? Joy? Fulfillment? Disappointment even?

Anything? Anything! Why couldn't she feel anything?

A vertical pillar of pure blue energy flashed through the sky, and gave her one last spark of hope.

The Avatar! The Avatar was coming! He was the strongest bender, the protector of the world, able to bend all four elements! He could give her the fight she needed.

Perhaps… Yes, that was what she would do.

She made a present, just for the Avatar. A cold dead puppet.

XOXOXOXOX

Aang was too late.

Too late. Too late. Too late.

Again.

While his family had been fighting, he'd been somewhere else. The Princess had already killed him! His friend! His brother!

But this time, this time was different. This time he'd have revenge! Aang rose in the air, and let Raava take control.

Life was precious. But death was necessary. And maybe, just maybe, the Princess needed to die for a better world.

The last thing he saw was Sokka's cold dead corpse, floating in the air to greet him.


	20. Chapter 13 - Open Eyes (Part 3)

**Author's Note: Luiz 4200** \- Remember that in cannon it's very likely that Katara was the most talented bender in the series. She could bloodbend without a fullmoon, as seen in the Southern Raiders, she became Aang's waterbending master despite learning waterbending at the same time he did, and defeated a Sozin's Comet powered Azula after half a year of waterbending training. All this while knowing that her waterbending directly resulted in her own mother's death. In cannon, Katara has every reason to be a weak bender. She's still the second strongest in the entire series.

In this story Katara has been fighting for a few years, and has Iroh's firebending as well as her own waterbending. Toph and Bumi would still give her a lot of trouble, but those were always the two benders she had the worst matchup with, at least in this series. She also has an emotional boost, where she has no qualms with hurting people. At this point, it's fair to say that she outclasses every fighter but Aang.

Who she's fighting now, before she faces an opponent even more dangerous. Enjoy the show!

XOXOXOX

The Avatar glowed pure blue. He stared down at her from the sky, eyes ancient and alien and livid. Katara met his gaze calmly and waited. Waited as the wind picked up, started to howl, as snow and rocks fell into the sky towards the Avatar. As the rocks crumbled into pebbles, as the snow melted into water and froze into jagged chunks of ice, as water, earth, fire, and air all orbited around him at incredible speeds.

"C'mon Aang," she whispered. "Do it! Do it. Show me true power."

The Avatar was undefeated. Koh the face stealer had been banished by Avatar Kuruk, Chin the Conqueror had been demolished by Avatar Kyoshi, even Firelord Sozin had been soundly defeated by Avatar Roku. The Fire Nation had only gained momentum because of the Avatar's absence. Nobody had ever even been able to give him a fight. Katara wasn't scared of losing. Winning terrified her though. What next? Why? For what? But if she lost, she could always look forward to a grudge match.

She had to lose. If there was any good in the world, Aang would flatten her to a pulp. Somebody had to do it. Sokka needed to be avenged, but she wouldn't make it easy.

The Avatar attacked raining bits of earth down on her like comets.

Pebbles slammed into the ground in front of her, kicking up flooms of dust. Katara pulled up a sheet of ice, but the pebbles tore through it with enough force to bruise her. Didn't matter. She was still alive, and the Avatar's attack had kicked up a heavy cloud of ice and dust, impossible to see through. She ran forward and cut left, then right. Tried to lose him. It worked, to an extent.

She'd certainly lost him, but the Avatar's attacks didn't stop. He was raining down punishment onto the ground below. Giant gusts of wind that carved the ground, arrows of ice that fell like rain, blasts of fire so strong they left glowing lava. His bending was on another level. He was performing techniques Katara had never even heard of, techniques she suspected too powerful for any other bender.

It was only a matter of time until one of his barrages hit.

Katara pulled up a pillar of water, froze it, and sent some discs slicing towards the Avatar. They crumbled when they got close, disintegrating in the circle of energy surrounding the demigod. Too insubstantial.

And her little attack had given away her position. The Avatar hurdled towards her, sending a powerful waterfall of fire down with him. Impossible to block, but maybe she could dodge. No.

Sparks flew around her. The Avatar was destroying her home. The place she'd grown up. She thought back on all the good memories, of all the friends she'd made here. Unfortunately there were none. Ash filled her nostrils, the air noxious from the molten rock, and Katara breathed in the poison, it fueled her. Let it all burn!

She pointed a hate filled finger at the Avatar. Lightning flashed. Thunder roared. And the Avatar kept advancing. Nothing could break his shield. Not even her cold fury. Not even all her hatred.

It was obvious that she was going to lose. You couldn't outbend the Avatar, and without her bending she was nothing. She had no chance.

 _Open your eyes Katara._

Katara forced them open. Thought about the possibilities. Looked around. Surveyed the island. Its resources, its unique traits. A new path emerged. She'd spent her life focused on bending, on herself, but in the periphery had always been… Another path, another trail, she'd always considered it impossible for her, but it really never had been.

She created ten fireclones, and sprinted away. The Avatar ripped apart one clone with a hail of pebble bullets, ran one through with an ice spear, and sliced one apart with a razor sharp gust. Then he was after her. Katara willed her legs to move faster. Faster!

Tut-tut-tut! Ice spears sliced the ground behind her. She turned the rest of her fireclones into fireballs, and sent them hurtling at the Avatar. Didn't break stride. It was so close. So close! She reached out a hand, almost! Almost!

But she couldn't move. Why? Why? Oh, an ice spear had gone through her leg. Pegged it to the ground. Hurt. Hurt. Blood gushed out. More and more. Vision starting to fade.

Avatar slowed. Staring down at her. Preparing a final attack.

Mistake! An opening! There it was! Katara smirked through the pain, and took a deep breath. Melted the ice around her leg, and limped to the cannon. The Avatar stared at her, and tilted his head almost like he was confused. He was of course, neither this Avatar, or any before him had ever seen a cannon. This was something entirely new. But he was still protected by an elemental shield. Invincible. She lined her sights on the most powerful bender on the planet.

Katara lit the fuse. It sizzled, like meat on a frying pan. Boom! A flash of light, and the spherical shield of elements shattered around the Avatar. He was exposed.

Katara sent a few fireballs, but the Avatar deftly floated around them. Faster! Faster! Lightning flashed. Again, and again. But nothing hit. She was too slow.

She levitated up a disc of ice. Disintegrated it into little bolts, and sent them flying.

The Avatar wiped them away with a gust of wind.

Katara scowled. Nothing. She couldn't finish him. It was like King Bumi had told her. If she couldn't find a finishing move, she would always be a garbage bender. Lightning was no good here. She needed a heavier attack than ice or fire. Perhaps it was time to make her getaway. Start plotting for the grudge match. She'd made a lot of enemies today. The whole world. She'd need to become even more powerful.

She smiled. She'd need a lot of training! She still had a long way to go! Really, she was still quite weak-

"Katara?" The Avatar asked. "Is that you?"

No! No, no, no, no-

The Avatar's eyes stopped glowing. Aang fell to the ground. "What happened? Why were you… Was it you? Did you kill Sokka?"

Katara couldn't meet his gaze. "Yes."

"What? No, I don't believe you! You're a good person Katara, you'd never do that!"

"So," Katara said, and she found that she no longer hurt. "How 'bout some firebending lessons Aang?"

"Why? Why'd you do it? It was an accident right?"

Katara threw her furs into the ocean. She pulled apart her hair loopies. "No. That isn't right. The cycle is air, water, earth, and lastly fire." Her eyes turned blue. She sent a torrent of ice water from the ocean, and froze it around Aang.

"Katara?"

"Today I've killed a Princess, I've killed a Prince, I've even killed my brother. I think killing an Avatar would really make the day complete."

Lightning flashed and Katara was sure that Aang's eyes would glow. Instead he just stared at her defiantly, until his eyes rolled back into his skull.

She sighed. Aang was too weak to be a worthy Avatar. Luckily though, the Avatar was immortal, and if she killed him he'd be reborn into someone who hadn't been infected with pacifism. Her hand sparked. Time to die little Avatar.

Something thumped beside her. A brown-eyed man stood beside her brother's corpse. Somehow, she knew who this man was: The legendary hero, the messiah, the Phoenix King.

Maybe she'd kill him too.

"Did you do this?" Asked the Phoenix King, nodding at the corpse.

Katara looked away.

The Phoenix gently nudged her, forcing her to meet his gaze. She didn't see any anger, any disgust, just curiosity. "Why?"

"I…" Katara mumbled. "I don't…"

"Do not lie," said the Phoenix King. "Every action has a reason. Every decision has a motive. Only a child denies this. You are not a child."

"Because…" Katara stared at Sokka's cold dull eyes. "Because I'm a monster."

She att- Was slapped. She rubbed her cheek.

The Phoenix King shook his head. "Do not lie. That does no good for anyone. Why did you do this? Be honest."

Katara closed her eyes. "I wanted… He was a bender, but he… I just wanted him to be… More. I looked up to him. I knew he could be so much more than he was… But, but it was never my decision to make. He didn't want power. He didn't want to be a hero. I tried to force him down a path he didn't want."

"Katara." The Phoenix King smiled. Patted her on the head like the father she'd never had. "I had a brother once. He was blessed with firebending from the gods themselves, and a great tactical mind. With his gifts, he was the only man worthy of the world. I wanted so badly for him to claim it, for him to take his place at the top. But he always had a weakness. A flaw. So small, but it represented a threat I believe you know as well. He loved his weak, sickly, younger brother. Why this was the case, I do not know. But that imperfection caused his demise. I would have given anything to erase this flaw: my life, my honor, my humanity. But nothing worked. Nothing! No matter what I did he would not change. Why? _Why?_ _ **Answer me!**_ "

"I don't," Katara started, and she thought about it. Why did this man think that love was a flaw? Because… Because… "Because he was altruistic. Because he cared about other people, not just himself."

"Yes!" The Phoenix King laughed. He bellowed. Tears ran down his eyes. "You understand! You understand! The evil of altruism! The horror of morals! Look at your brother, all you wanted was for him to embrace his potential, but he was so opposed, so obsessed with his morals, that he refused to save himself. What good is that? He has hurt you Katara, someone he loved deeply, and has robbed the world of his talents. Why not just embrace his potential?"

"He just… He wanted to teach me a lesson."

"Him teach you?" The Phoenix King roared. "Preposterous! Katara, you are perfect. He has nothing to teach you."

"You're wrong!" Katara shouted. "I'm a monster! I'm vile and bitter, vengeful and immature! I'm evil!"

"You pursue power," The Phoenix King said smoothly. "You left the Water Tribe for power. You hunted the Avatar for power. You killed for power. There is nothing evil about self-interest, there is nothing wrong with trying to better yourself. Think Katara. What if everyone was like you? What if everyone was like Sokka? Which world would you prefer?"

If everyone was like her? People would get hurt, blood would be spilled, but progress would be fast and inevitable. People would live their lives with purpose. What if everyone lived like Sokka? The great minds, the best leaders, the most powerful benders would all waste away and stifle their gifts in the name of fairness and equality. It was a beautiful idea, but it just didn't work. People weren't equal. Some people were just better.

She was better.

Why should she suffer? Why should she be like everyone else? No, she was special! Sokka was wrong, he was wrong! Maybe that was why he was dead. Maybe it had nothing to do with her.

Maybe she needed to show the world the truth.

"The greatest men, the ones who have helped humanity the most, have always been spectacularly selfish. Your brother, the same as mine, does not have that trait." The Phoenix King smiled lightly. "Power is humanity's greatest desire. Its pursuit is our destiny. It is not clean. It is not without casualties. But imagine a world, Katara, a world where the individual can pursue their dreams without shame. Wouldn't it be wonderful?"

Katara hesitated.

"Imagine a world," The Phoenix King said. "Where benders were needed. A world where the Fire Nation would attack the Water Tribe regardless of their threat. Where countries truly hated one another. Would your brother have denied his bending then? Would he be dead now?"

"I'd like that world too," Katara said quietly.

"Would you?" Asked the Phoenix King chuckling. "Are you sure?"

Katara nodded.

The Phoenix King smiled. "I have in my possession, the earthbending of a man you may be familiar with: King Bumi. Would you like it?"

"How?" Katara asked. She'd always thought it was impossible to steal someone's bending, that it was impossible for anyone except the Avatar to bend multiple elements, but Azula proved otherwise. So did she, for that matter.

The Phoenix King shook his head. "It is unimportant, but perhaps this is: Your dead brother, Katara, is not actually dead. He is still alive. Barely. He could be healed by a powerful waterbender."

Sokka was alive? She rushed to him. She'd never healed before, but she was sure she could-

"I am the Fire Lord." The Phoenix King continued. "And I will not have you saving an enemy. An ally of Raava. A proponent of a peaceful world. Leave him. Come with me Katara. I can give you earthbending. I can give you airbending. You fought the Avatar. You know the truth. You need all four elements to stand a chance against him."

He was… He was making her choose? Her brother or bending.


	21. Chapter 13 - Open Eyes (Part 4)

**Author's Note:** Here it is, the final part of the final chapter. To everyone still reading, thank you, it's been a long journey we've been on together! I hope you've enjoyed the story as much as I've enjoyed writing it! There probably won't be a sequel for this story, and the ending will be kind of open-ended. This is because to me, the main draw of the story has always been the characters, and their arcs will come to a close. However, there will be an alternate ending next week, so if you're interested, you can check that out.

XOXOXOX

Katara's hand started to glow. She could feel an ember, deep within Sokka. If she protected it, if she fed it, she could make it grow. She could save him!

"I am weak," The Phoenix King said. From his sallow skin to his wispy hair to his raspy voice, Katara knew he was telling the truth. "I can no longer bend. I can not stand against the Avatar. Have you met the boy? He is selfless and kind. He does not understand the beauty of cruelty, the importance of selfishness. He will never allow our world to exist. I need you Katara. You are the only one who can stand against the Avatar. You are the only one who can topple this world's balance, and create something truly exquisite."

Katara looked up. She met the Phoenix King's brown eyes, and slowly, slowly, she felt something change within her.

The blue in her eyes faded. Swirled and darkened. First purple. Then gold.

A maelstrom of passion burst into existence around her, flames melting the snow of the South Pole. She finally claimed the firebending within her. Iroh's power became her own.

She got up. She left Sokka. It wasn't easy. She loved her brother, she wanted to stay with him, but she wanted to change the world even more. She felt like it was what she'd been born for, why she'd been given the flaws she'd been given, why she'd struggled so much, why she'd made the mistakes she'd made. It was all so she could finally realize the truth. This was her destiny.

"I want Ty Lee's airbending," Katara said.

"Then go out and take it," said the Phoenix King, as he escorted her to the Fire Nation armada.

Since the creation of man, an Avatar had always acted as humanity's protector. But eventually every child needed to separate from their guardian and be given the freedom to find themselves. Be pushed to become the best they could be. The truth was that the world… The world needed...

Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed until her brother had discovered the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang. And although her firebending skills were great, she has a lot to learn before she was ready to take him on. But Katara believed that she could save the world.

XOXOXOXOX

"Are you sure we should save him?" Asked Yue. There were two beds left in the hospital. One for a fat old man and another for a beautiful young woman. Zuko and Mai had already been healed. "Her?"

"I'm sure," said the Avatar. "Life is precious."

"But he's…" Yue said, she glanced through the window of the hospital, at a group of protesters. "They hate General Iroh here more than anyone else. After him is Princess Azula. Should we really heal the warlords who killed the tribe's last two chiefs?"

"Yes," said the Avatar. "We need them. I want to understand the Phoenix King. Who would understand him better than his brother?"

"What if he's evil?" Asked Yue. "What if he can't be reasoned with?"

For that the Avatar had no answer. But it didn't matter, he believed in pacifism, he believed that anyone, even the Firelord could be reasoned with. He believed that the path to a peaceful world would come through compassion and empathy.

Someone knocked on the door. Teo. He looked tired and worn out, with big dark rings under his eyes. It must've been hard being the new… The new…

He could understand the crowds outside. He understood their anger. His people had been killed, and so had Sokka. Maybe… Maybe he needed to…

"I've got something to show you Aang," said Teo. "It was what Sokka was working on. A new invention."

He handed the Avatar a map vandalized by Sokka's sloppy drawings. The Avatar remembered, back in the Northern Air Temple Sokka had started babbling about a new idea before the red lights had appeared. Whatever this new invention was, it had been accepted by Vattu as payment for entry into his lair.

It would surely add chaos and destruction into the world if it was built.

"Our factories are starting to build these en masse," said Teo. "It's what Sokka would've wanted. It will make the world he dreamed of a reality."

"What does it do?"

"It will give anyone the power of an Avatar." Teo hesitated. "Are you going to stop us Aang?"

Yes. It would be trouble if these were built. But… But. People needed to be able to protect themselves. People like Iroh, people like Azula, people like Katara would always exist. Aang didn't believe in violence, but he wouldn't get in the way of people protecting themselves. Maybe if these had been invented a hundred years ago his people could have defended themselves.

"No," said the Avatar studying the diagram. It looked like a miniature cannon. "What are they called?"

"It's stupid. It doesn't have to do with anything, I don't even know where Sokka got the name from. But they're called," Teo winced.

"Guns."


	22. Alternate Ending and Story Notes

A beautiful young woman looked down on him, her blue eyes full of concern. Someone was hugging him and crying.

"Stop it Aang," Sokka said weakly. "It's not manly."

Aang took a step back. "I thought you were dead."

Teo was here, so was Ty Lee, and most of the Tribe as well. But not his ole' man. Not Katara.

"Is she gone?" Sokka asked.

Everyone grew quiet. They knew who he was talking about.

"Yes," said Gran-Gran.

His vision got blurry. He was crying. Why? Because his, because his tribe had abandoned him.

Teo patted his shoulder.

No. No, his tribe was right here. All he needed was right here. Katara had chosen to leave them. If she ever wanted to return, she could, but she'd made her decision.

"The Armada?"

"They left sir," said Hahn. "The Firelord said that we have earned our independence. Our champion beat their champion."

"I thought that the Chief…"

"Not Chief Bato sir," said Hahn. "Katara."

So his sister had given them one last gift before leaving them forever. Sokka would make the most of it.

"Good," said Sokka. "Can you get me my bag Hahn?"

Hahn brought it to him, and Sokka ruffled through his things. He found the old map, the one he'd scribbled over while visiting the temple. His first invention. He laid it out over the bed, and brought out his prototype.

"I'd like to start mass manufacturing these new weapons," said Sokka. He was the Chief now. The protection of the Tribe was his duty. "These will allow a child to take on an Avatar. They will change the world."

"Seems easy enough." Hahn looked over the blueprints. "Looks like a miniature cannon."

"Actually, I'd like to call it something else. Something special." Sokka shared a look with Teo. "We're thinking of calling them guns."

 **Author's Note:** Sokka lives! The reason I decided Sokka ultimately had to die was because I felt it invalidated Katara's decision made at the end of the story. While I like the battlelines of Katara vs Aang on the bending side and Ozai vs Sokka tactically I just didn't think it worked with the rest of the story to save Sokka last second.

Guns were always going to work their way into the story. Katara was always going to be set up to be Ozai's successor. This was always meant to be a Dark Avatar origin story. Spoilers if I ever decide to write a sequel:

The Dark Avatar cannot bend multiple element themselves, but they can steal bending and gift one or more people the ability to bend multiple elements. This is why Azula can bend water, because Iroh stole Hama's waterbending. After killing Chief Hakoda, Iroh was forced to admit his own villainy. Being Vattu's champion makes it difficult to feel empathy, and makes feelings of glory much stronger. He knew he couldn't overcome his demons himself, but he refused to pass them onto his son and nephew and niece. He ultimately struck a deal with Vattu, and saved a baby Katara from hypothermia by gifting her with the majority of his firebending. The boon was that Vattu leave the younger members of Fire Nation royalty alone. The cost was that Vattu would haunt a pair of siblings. Iroh knew about Katara, but never realized that Sokka was also haunted. More than anyone. Vattu does not like bending, and favored Sokka as his final champion for destruction of humanity. While he tried to subtly whisper to Katara to bend, he screamed at Sokka that bending was evil. Vattu's goal is the destruction of humanity.

Not through bending, but through technology. Not through his doing, not through Ravva's, but his ultimate goal is for humanity to use their ultimate gift, intelligence, to destroy themselves.

Ultimately I decided that Teo could fulfill Sokka's role. He is also better able to resist Vattu than Sokka would be. His father invented mustard gas. After its use, Teo's mother protested, ran to the Northern Air Temple and disappeared. Rather than console Teo, the Chemist went on another gas run the next day, leaving his son to grieve the loss of his mother alone. You can imagine the story if you'd like. Can Teo overcome his desire to get revenge on his father, and in the process destroy the world, or can Aang convince him to let it go?

More notes...

The Dark Avatar, similarly to the Avatar, passes on after the death of one Dark Avatar. To whoever murdered them. That's why Ozai is so bullish about being able to kill a loved one. Whoever he chooses as a successor will eventually have to kill him.

Let me know if you've got any ideas for a sequel, or even just another story idea involving Avatar. Thanks for reading!

And that's all folks!


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